


Ivory Strings

by Sillysbarka16



Series: Ivory Strings [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien deserves to be happy, Adrien is kinda oblivious, Concerts, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Music, Pining, Slow Build, band mates - Freeform, past homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-04-16 17:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 64,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14170323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillysbarka16/pseuds/Sillysbarka16
Summary: Adrien's finally got the chance to be happy, break away from his father. Luka's found a friend who can understand him, who wants to be around him.Adrien's love for Ladybug might blind him temporarily, but he knows where his heart rests.*Luka smiled, "for what it's worth, I think you are exactly what the band needs." *





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya :) Starting out a little fic about these two lovelies because I just couldn't resist. I'm a firm Ladynoir, don't get me wrong, but I might be persuaded to jump onto the LukaXAdrien bandwagon XD.  
> There won't be any trashing Marinette (I hope it won't be taken that way) because she's a sweet heart and she's absolutely me!  
> It's weird writing my own name into this piece, but shouldn't be too hard because I relate to her character perfectly :)

There was a time in Adrien's life where misery was his constant state, he lived as a slave to his father's wishes and didn't try to escape his duty. Then, he met Plagg, he met Ladybug, he went to school, and he started to live. Everything was starting to feel right, he had friends, he had an amazing partner in crime fighting, a great Kwami – he would never tell Plagg that he'd just demand cheese – and best friends. One thing he didn't have was romance, but he was working on that. Sooner or later, Ladybug would say yes. Or she'd tell him she'd found someone else, and he'd move on. He hoped that wasn't ever the case. 

On weekends, Adrien was allowed to leave his house for two hours on each day, the rest were dedicated to his working schedule (homework, modelling if required, piano practice, fencing practice). Adrien obeyed these rules, generally, but who was he to leave his Ladybug waiting when an Akuma was on the loose? 

It wasn't difficult to leave his house, either. Chat Noir could leave through the window, Adrien could leave through the front door. Sometimes it paid to have his household ignore him. Other times, it just sucked. He couldn't please his father, no matter what he did, his old man refused to acknowledge him. Recently, he'd started to accept his son, playing piano with him together, watching the only movie with his mother in it together, but he was still an absent father, and Adrien still suffered from this. It was a miracle he hadn't been acumatised himself, because he swears up and down he'd be the akuma of the week several weeks in a row. 

Adrien was about to leave his home, satchel over his shoulder, phone in hand, ring on finger, when Nathalie walked into his room, without knocking, and gave him a look, one that had Adrien sighing and putting down his satchel. 

"Your father wishes to speak with you, Adrien. Then you are free to leave as you had planned." Nathalie said, giving him a soft look at the end. Adrien was so confused by this woman, harsh one minute and kind the next? She may have been his father's assistant, but she'd also been the one to partially raise the boy, so perhaps she had some feelings of kindness towards him? She was, after all, the one who had allowed to him to actually go to school, so to speak. 

Adrien gathered his satchel, hoping his father wouldn't plan on holding him for long. He wanted to get to see his friends, Nino had invited him to his house, where their friends would be holding an impromptu band practice. 

He knocked on his father's office door, and only entered once he was called upon. Gabriel was, predictably, working at his tablet at the front of the room, the portrait of his mother standing tall behind him. Adrien stood awkwardly, fingers holding his bag carefully, nervously, as he awaited his father's words. 

Gabriel glanced up momentarily, but when he spoke, his attention was on his screen. Adrien hated that, it made him feel like a child. "I heard about your adventures in the music festival, Adrien." The young boy stood tall, but he could feel himself retracting at the words. How did his father even know about that? "it was brought to my attention there is a video from one of the viewers circulating the internet, and you are seen as the pianist." Well, that explained that then. Adrien winced. 

"Father please, I didn't intend on –" he tried, but he was interrupted. 

"You refuse to practice pieces that of music with paramount importance, and yet you are happy to play frivolous music with a bunch of untalented pupils." Gabriel said calmly, voice never changing, always monotone. 

"They needed a keyboard player –" he tried again, but Gabriel silenced him with a sharp glare. Adrien hung his head. "Sorry, father. It won't happen again," he mumbled, barely loud enough for Gabriel to be able to hear. 

"I should hope not. If I do hear you have been gallivanting with that mediocre band again, I shall revoke your weekend social hours." Gabriel said, and then, as though Adrien wasn't there, he silenced and focused on his work. 

Adrien breathed heavily, bowing to his father before heading out of the study and closing the door. Nathalie was waiting for him, no surprise there, with a sympathetic look on her face. "Where are you headed today?" Nathalie asked, more of a demand, really, but she was at least trying to be nice. 

The young blonde looked at her, "to Nino's, we're going to practice some games." He half lied, but what Nathalie didn't know wouldn't kill her. "Please, can I walk there?" 

Nathalie frowned, she wasn't supposed to allow the boy to go anywhere without his bodyguard, Gorilla as he was called. "Just this once, Adrien. Call when you need to be picked up, or if something happens." 

Adrien was surprised with the answer, however he wasn't about to stick around and have her change her mind, so he left. As soon as he was off premises, he pulled out his phone and dialed Nino's number, letting him know he was on his way. Nino answered on the second ring, predictably, probably waiting for Adrien to call. 

"I'm still coming, Nino, but my father found out about the festival," Adrien said, a note of sadness in his voice, that his best friend was easily able to pick up. Nino gave a soft groan of both annoyance and pity. 

"That's rough, dude. What'd he say?" Nino asked curiously, but also with a note of care. 

Adrien gave a sigh, which Nino could easily hear down the other end of the line. "Just that your band shouldn't have such a masterpiece as myself in it, because you guys suck at music and I'm classical." He muttered angrily. 

"Ouch, that's hurtful to our band." The tone Nino said it in, however, said he was laughing. Adrien smiled for the first time since he'd heard his father wished to speak with him. Nino always knew how to cheer him up. "How'd the old man find out anyway?" 

"Some video got posted." Adrien replied, a slight huff in his voice. 

Nino paused for a moment, "dunno who posted it, not even Alya had her phone on film during the concert. And you know how she is," he teased, and Adrien heard a thud, followed by Nino grunting in clear pain. Adrien gave a short laugh, knowing Alya had thrown something at her boyfriend's head. 

"It doesn't matter, all that does is that he found out." Adrien said longingly. He wanted to play with his friends, it had been fun. They'd made him feel welcome, happy, and that was a rare thing for him. Happiness came in the form of two things for him: Chat Noir and friends. Playing with his friends, that was even better. 

Nino was quiet for a moment, before he exclaimed, "if no one films you, who's to know you haven't stopped? We'll just make our meetings more secret." 

Adrien considered this for a moment. "Yeah, yeah! Why not?" He grinned to himself, which might have looked strange given that he was walking on the street. He didn't particularly care, though, he was going to be able to see his friends and his dad would never be one the wiser. 

Nino was obviously grinning on the other end of the line. "Awesome dude, now hurry up and get here, we're all waiting." 

Adrien unconsciously sped up his pace, hanging up on his friend, left to his own thoughts. He smiled to himself as he wandered the streets. He really did love having friends, they were the highlight of his day, highlight of his life. He hadn't had a terrific start to life, with his absent mother and distant father, then being homeschooled and no social life, forced to participate in extracurricular activities and expected to excel at them. But now, now he had friends, a life, he had joy. He'd never enjoyed playing the piano till he played it with his friends, for his friends. He'd be damned if he ever let his father take that one solace away from him. 

It wasn't long before the young blonde was outside Nino's house and knocking on the door. Nino instantly opened the door, greeting him with the biggest smile and a fist bump. Adrien grinned as he entered the now familiar house, with its lovely lived in feel, comfortable space and warm atmosphere. The complete opposite of his own home, then. 

Adrien looked around at the familiar faces of his friends, who all greeted him with a 'hi Adrien' and a smile. Adrien couldn’t wipe his own smile off his face. Nino moved over to his DJ computer system, where he'd plugged in the amps, guitars, microphone, and the keyboard. The drums didn't need to be connected to speakers, they were loud enough. Especially with Ivan playing. 

Alya was obviously there, being Nino's romantic partner, she liked to support his music endeavors. Marinette was there too, as Alya's company and to substitute an audience. They were good support to have, always willing to offer a nice compliment. Marinette, Adrien found, was shy, she got tongue twisted easily, but she was strong, defensive and supportive. Adrien was lucky to call her a friend. 

Ivan brought Mylene along, of course, she loved to watch him play the drums – and she hung out with him any chance she got. Not only were they the best of friends, they were also in a romantic relationship, and they were absolutely great together. Adrien supported both of them, even though he didn't quite know them as well. 

Juleka and Rose were there, the base player and lead singer of course. Rose, sweet Rose, was a shocker when she sang, Adrien didn't see it coming. He loved it, that the young girl was such a powerhouse with her vocals, unafraid to shout and sing what she's passionate about. Juleka had said that Rose was the one to write the songs, and it really did show. Her songs were all about unicorns in some manner or another. Juleka, on the other hand, was quiet, she didn't speak much to Adrien, but she did talk to Rose, and Adrien supposed that was good, everyone had to have someone, right? 

Lastly, there was Luka, the only person in the group that Adrien was unsure about. He didn't know him, Luka didn’t go to Adrien's school. He wasn't going to ask, he was curious, given that his sister attended Francoise Dupont and he didn't. Luka was a fabulous artist, strong in his views, honest, and calm. His attitude amazed Adrien, when he'd first met him, how easily he'd put Adrien into the group, how effortlessly he'd been able to adjust to the bigger group. Luka was an interesting character, and Adrien wanted to be able to call him a friend. A real friend, not just a band mate. Given that he'd really only talked to Luka one other time, Adrien was going to have to work just a little harder to actually be able to call the guitarist a friend. 

"Adrien, you made it dude," Ivan cheered as he placed himself at the drum kit. Adrien grinned and made his way to the set-up keyboard, running his fingers lightly over the soft pearly keys. He caught Luka's eye as he looked up from the keys, a small smile on the guitarists face as he moved to collect his own instrument. 

"Alright, what're we playing today?" Nino asked the group, and Rose was the one to answer, as the lead singer she had the most influence – it was her voice that would get sore, after all. That, and she had a surprising amount of control over the group, everyone just listened to her immediately. 

Rose listed a song, and Adrien blanched, having no clue what he was supposed to play for it. No sheet music had been provided, and he didn't even know the song she'd listed – one she'd wrote herself he supposed, and original. One he would never have heard. He was in way out of his league here. The classics, he'd heard them numerous times. Timeless. He had no idea how to play something untested. He wasn't going to be able to do this. 

Luka, standing beside Adrien, noticed the frown on Adrien's pale face and gave him an easy smile. "Chill out, Adrien. Just listen and play along with us. Like you did last time." He said calmly. 

Adrien frowned, his stressed eyes turning to the man with the dip dyed hair, who was plucking at his guitar mildly, a smile on his pleasant face. "I had sheet music last time," he reminded the guitarist. 

"Improvise, dude. It's easy. Just go with the flow, listen to what the music wants you to play," Luka said, strumming a soft cord as though to demonstrate. 

Adrien let out a deep breath, one he hadn't even realised he'd been holding, and nodded. "Improvise. I can do that." He said, more to himself then to Luka. The guitar player gave him a confident smile and thumbs up. Adrien nodded, he would do this. He could do this. This was just like playing with his father the other day. Playing a new piece and knowing when the notes were wrong. No, it wasn't like that, he knew the notes were wrong because he'd heard the piece played a hundred times before he'd even touched the keys! 

Juleka noticed Adrien's frazzled face and strolled over, almost lazily. "Calm, play after you've heard our first run through. Rose always does it twice anyway," she said, her voice light at the end, looking over to Rose with a smile on her face. Adrien hadn't really heard Juleka speak much before, so this was new. To see her so open about her emotions too, the smile as she looked at Rose, showed that she was calm and comfortable in this environment. 

Adrien took her advice in the beginning. Rose, true to Juleka's word, played each song twice. By the time Adrien had been able to play into his third song, he was joining in on the first round, improvising, accompanying with notes he knew could assist the song. He was having fun, and it showed, his face lit up, smile as bright as possible. 

Luka noticed after the end of the second run through of their fourth song, when they were deemed a break, giving Adrien a huge smile. "See, told you, you could do it." 

Adrien smiled back at Luka. "You're right, it's not as hard as I thought it would be." He admitted. 

Luka gave a short laugh, and Adrien found himself admiring the sound. He could be the singer, really, his voice was lovely. "Oh, you must really be into the classical side of music. This is easy compared to that." 

Adrien had to agree, it did seem easier, the leeway was much greater for error then with the classics. If his father ever found out, he'd have his head, but for now, Adrien was going to keep this wild side hidden. He was good with secrets, if Chat Noir was anything to go by. 

Nino, Alya and Marinette walked over then, leaving Luka standing awkwardly, before deciding that he was going to join his sister and Rose, who were getting a drink. Adrien smiled to Nino, who gave him a fist bump. 

"That was awesome, dude. You sounded amazing." Nino congratulated him. 

Adrien smiled, a small blush lighting his cheeks. "Thanks, Nino. It felt pretty good," he mused, fingers running carefully along the keys as he spoke. 

Marinette and Alya were both smiling happily, Marinette a bit wider and more forced then Adrien thought was natural. But she was always strange around him, Adrien supposed. Perhaps she didn't like him? No, she wouldn't go out of her way to talk to him then, or make sure he was happy. Perhaps that was just her character? 

Adrien looked down at his watch and frowned, muttering a small curse. Nino looked confused, then alarmed, as he also realized what this meant. Adrien checked his phone, and, sure enough, there was a dozen missed calls from the Gorilla. 

He pressed redial and was immediately connected to the angry grunt of the driver. Adrien apologized profusely and told him where to come and pick him up, wincing when he heard the loud and obvious strum of the guitar, praying that his bodyguard hadn't heard the instrument. The Gorilla hung up, telling him he'd be there shortly, and Adrien sighed in relief that he hadn't caught on. 

Nino gave Adrien a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, dude, we won't practice anything without you." 

Adrien shook his head, "no, I'm not allowed to be in this band, so if you were to practice songs that require my instrument or presence, you wouldn't be able to perform them. It doesn't even make sense for me to have joined practice today," he said, eyes downcast. 

"Are you kidding dude? This was amazing, you had fun, and we need a pianist." Nino said, gesturing to the keyboard beside them. 

Adrien frowned. "I won't be able to perform with you guys though," he reiterated. 

A new voice joined them, and Adrien was surprised to see that Luka was back. "We don't have to perform to enjoy our music. We practice because we love music, not because we're trying to perform. That's for later." He said lightly, ending his words with a smile. Adrien found himself smiling, accepting Luka's words easily. Somehow, this man had the power to make Adrien relax, and he appreciated it. 

Nino nodded along to Luka's words. "Yeah, we're only meeting up as a band once a week dude. You can make it," he added, knowing Adrien would try to pull out. Adrien smiled, shaking his head lightly, loving that his best friend knew exactly what to say to get him to agree. 

"Yeah, alright. So long as no one films it, I can't let my father know I didn't quit." Adrien said, sending a sharp look to Alya. 

She held up her hands in self-defense, "don't look at me, mate, I would never film a band practice." 

Adrien smiled at that. "Then we should be all good to go," he agreed, and there was a chorus of cheers from around the group, who had apparently been eavesdropping. Adrien laughed, not having the heart to be annoyed that they were listening in. They were his friends, they understood his home life problems. Well, Luka probably didn't, but they didn't know each other that well, so for all Adrien knew, he was just the rich kid with daddy issues. Adrien wasn't about to let that thought drag him down, not when Luka had been so lovely to him before. 

A rap at the door indicated that his driver was there, and Adrien sighed. Time to get back to reality. He fare welled his friends, all waving at him pleasantly with smiles on their faces. They were careful not to show any instruments to the Gorilla as he left with Adrien, which he was immensely grateful for. 

Adrien couldn’t smother the smile as he sat in the car on the way home, happy to have something to look forwards to in the next week. He could see the Gorilla watching him curiously, as though expecting Adrien to explain why he was so happy. But Adrien just wanted to bask in his happiness on his own, with the exception of Plagg, who was still asleep in his bag, by some miracle. 

He went straight to his room when he returned home, getting out his homework books. He was motivated then, to actually finish his work, so that he would be allowed to continue hanging out with his friends. He knew his boundaries, and he wasn't about to test them. Not when his friends were on the line. He sometimes felt that they were as affected by Adrien not being there, as he was with being left out. 

His happiness managed to continue throughout the evening, even through a lonesome dinner, where at least he was able to text Nino questions about the homework – by that, Nino was the one asking the questions and Adrien was answering. It was good, having friends. Adrien liked it. He loved it. He was glad, in a way he hadn't been for a long time, that there hadn't been an akuma whilst he'd been with his friends. Whilst he would have gotten to see Ladybug, he also would have missed valuable friend time, and he wasn't sure which he would have valued more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien becomes a captain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still wheeling over Luka's character, unsure how to write him properly but I'm going to give it my best. :)

There was an Akuma midweek, and Adrien was almost glad. Some poor guy had been ripped off at the flower shop, trying to get the perfect bunch for his perfect wife. So of course, he turned everything perfect – in his eyes. One hit from him and Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous's would have been perfectly his.

Chat aided in the fight effortlessly, loving the feeling of freedom that his kwami was able to give him. He'd been practicing his piano, been completing his homework, attending his fencing classes, he was allowed to have a break to defeat an akuma. Ladybug would never let him live it down if he missed an attack, unless he'd been the one possessed.

At the conclusion of the fight, when Ladybug was giving the victim a graceful smile, Chat walked over to her, regardless of the beeping in his ring. She gave him a small smile, her own miraculous beeping loudly at her ears.

"Is everything alright, Chat Noir?" Ladybug asked, a hint of true concern in her voice. Chat preened at the attention but remembered what he really wanted to ask her.

"Are you happy, milady?" He asked softly. She seemed surprised by the question, even ignoring the beep from her miraculous, and the one from his own. She gave him a once over, examining him carefully.

She finally shrugged, "I'm as happy as I can be, Chat. Are you happy?"

"When I'm with you, I could never be anything else," Chat said, giving a graceful bow. Ladybug rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead.

"Head out of the clouds, Chat. This Bug's leaving," she waved goodbye, before swinging off to her own life. Chat sighed, fiddling unhelpfully with his baton, before he realized he was about to detransform out in the open, so he careened off towards a sheltered area.

Adrien walked the streets of Paris back to the school, a frown on his pale face. Ladybug hadn't outright told him that she was _happy_ , only that she was as happy as she could be. Did that mean she wasn't happy? That she didn’t enjoy her role as Ladybug, savior of Paris? Adrien couldn't help but wonder who she was under the mask, who the person behind her beauty and grace truly was.

Walking with his head down, it wasn't a surprise when he bumped into someone. It was a surprise when he recognized his collider to be Luka. Luka appeared just as surprised as Adrien when he recognized the blonde boy.

Before Adrien could greet and apologize to Luka, he heard an incredibly familiar and nasally tone. He almost winced at hearing Chloe, turning to see her bounding towards him. Chloe stopped in front of Adrien, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him forwards. Adrien grimaced slightly as his arm was pulled, and Luka noticed, gently prying the girl off him.

"Adrikins, I heard you were in the festival the other day," she began, her tone accusatory. "you didn't tell me you wanted to join in, you could have played for the orchestra." And boy would his father have enjoyed that; classical music played the classic way. None of the inventive and fun music Adrien had come to appreciate from his friends.

"I wasn't planning on joining, they had an open spot and I filled it," he responded calmly, even though he was already aware of where this conversation was going. Whilst he'd loved Chloe's company as a child, she had matured to be a spoilt rich kid, typical for her upbringing, but not what Adrien aspired to be. He wasn't going to offend her; her father was the mayor and their fathers had a precarious relationship as it was.

Chloe snorted, "someone like you should never have to join such a mediocre band. If you can even call them that," she said huffily, clearly offended that Adrien had joined in with his friends rather than her.

Adrien sent a quick glance to Luka, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Chloe noticed this and turned her sneer on him. "You're one of them, aren't you?"

Luka held out his hand, but Chloe just glared at it, and he retracted it. "Luka," he said softly.

Chloe grinned maliciously. "Oh, I heard about you. Sabrina told me her dad caught you for being over the decibel limit. Musicians don't need to be loud to be good, you know," she leered.

Adrien saw how Luka's cool façade was just that, a cover, so he intervened. "Don't, Chloe. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Later, Adrikins," Chloe sang, waving him off as she sauntered away. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she'd left.

Luka gave Adrien a confused glance. "Are you friends with her?" There was almost an accusation in his tone, and Adrien found he didn't want to hear this version of Luka. Where was the fun and friendly Luka he'd come to like?

"Childhood friends, I guess. Our dads were friends. Drifted apart though, when I came to school and realized not everyone was like Chloe." He explained, hoping he'd be able to get the Luka he liked back with these words.

Luka nodded, looking relieved. "I'm glad you aren't like her," he said softly.

Adrien only shrugged. "I guess, I could be, I come from a rich family, also right? Being rich doesn't make me happy though." He admitted.

Luka smiled at this, "for what it's worth, I think you are exactly what the band needs."

Adrien could feel his cheeks warm at the compliment. He'd never been told he was an important asset before, never by a friend. Luka was a friend, right? Did being band mates extend to being friends? Or was he just the pianist to Luka's guitar?

"I still think the band would be fine without me, but thank you, Luka."

Luka shook his head and placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Doubt yourself, and you've already lost." He said wisely, and Adrien smiled. Luka looked down at his watch and jumped slightly, apparently late. "Lunch is almost over, gotta run," he said, giving Adrien an apologetic look.

Adrien was confused. "Aren't you at Francoise Dupoint?" He asked, because his sister definitely was, she was in some of his classes.

Luka gave him a saddened smile. "I'm in final year at another school, transferred in first year." He replied, almost guiltily. Adrien wanted to ask, he really did, but it wasn't his place. If Luka wanted to tell him about it, he would have. It was comforting to know Luka was only two years Adrien's senior though, given how mature Adrien viewed him as.

"Do you like your new school?" Adrien asked instead.

Luka scoffed, a smile playing on his features. "Does anyone actually like school?" He paused, giving Adrien a short calculating look. "It's better now that I'm in final year. I've got friends, which is a good start."

Adrien nodded with a small smile, "you seem like you'd have lots of friends," he said softly. He didn't know Luka's situation outside of the band. Perhaps he really wasn't as friendly as he was towards Adrien, or he had some dark side he refused to show to the group.

Luka's eyes were downcast, even with the small smile placed on his lips. "I do now, yes. Being in a band has made me more likable apparently." He let out a sigh, before a real smile lit up his face, and Adrien found himself smiling at it. "I'll see you later, Adrien. Perhaps outside of band practice?" He suggested.

Adrien nodded, "I'd like that, I can text you when I'm free?"

Luka agreed easily, pulling out his phone for Adrien to put his number in. Adrien did so hastily, knowing both their lunch breaks were about to end. Luka beamed as he got the number back and immediately sent through a text so Adrien had his number too.

> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the competition begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because who needs sleep when these boys just need to get together?

Adrien got to school late, during lunch break, because his father had booked a shoot without telling him. He felt out of place when he arrived, everyone else arrived on time, they didn't have exceptions because of work commitments. The principle didn't even bother to call Gabriel to find out where his son was, just assuming he didn't have to be at school. Adrien hated it. 

He got a text from Nino telling him Luka was already at the library, so he rushed towards it, not bothering to go to his locker to put his bag away. They were using the public library which was attached to the school, convenient considering Luka wasn't actually part of their school.

The library was bustling with students, gathered around a table. Adrien peered through the spectators and found his group of friends seated, eagerly awaiting Adrien's arrival. Luka was the first to see Adrien, waving him over with a collected smile. Adrien was  _so_ going to wipe it off his face. 

Nino and Juleka sat at the other side of the table, preparing a bunch of papers, Adrien assumed they were the competition questions. Sorry, duel weapons. Adrien smiled and placed himself beside Luka, hearing whispers of excitement from around the group. Even the librarians, who usually accepted only absolute shush, were watching with poorly concealed excitement. 

Nino rose from his chair, clearing his chest with an air of authority. Adrien allowed a small smirk to rest on his lips. "We are gathered here to witness the battle between Adrien and Luka! The rules are as follows: you will answer each the question sheet provided, with a time limit. Whoever completes theirs first and with the most correct answers shall be determined the victor."

Adrien gave Luka a sideways glance, seeing the determination on his face. "Not too late to back down now, Luka," he taunted as he took the piece of paper from Nino. 

"What? Scared you're going to lose?" Was his cool response, collected and even as he sent a sly smile Adrien's way. 

"Only scared I'll bruise your ego," Adrien grinned as he collected his pencil and calculator. Let the battle commence, Luka. Prepare to meet your doom. 

"I hope you know how to swim, your ships about to sink." 

"Brave words, can you live up to them?" 

Determination set in both their faces, anticipation from the crowd, as Juleka and Nino finally declared the beginning of the competition. Adrien glanced down at his question sheet and tried not to allow his grimace to show. He pushed the feelings of doubt away and began answering the questions. Simple, but elaborate, time consuming. He could do this. 

Half way through the question sheet, he cast his eyes to Luka, seeing the determination on his face, but also the concern. Adrien frowned, looking back at his work. Math's, his strong suit, he knew his answers were correct even without having used the calculator. He wasn't cocky, he'd just had a lot of tutoring when he was homeschooled, math's was incredibly important for the fashion industry. 

"Getting cold feet?" Luka asked, scribbling down his numbers as he glanced towards Adrien. 

"You wish," he replied, swallowing down the measure of guilt he felt and pushing forwards to get the questions all done. Adrien was surprised when Luka was actually the one to finish first, waving his hand and hearing the cheers from all the onlookers. Adrien smiled and completed his last question seconds later, handing it over to Nino and Juleka, who put their heads together and marked the sheets. 

Luka gave Adrien a smile, one that told him he was satisfied with his own work. "I know I said we should study, but I think this was more productive," he said lightly. 

Adrien grinned, "just means we'll have to organize to study some other time," he agreed.

"I think I can agree to that," Luka said lightly, and Adrien's heart did a small dance. It felt good to have someone who wanted to spend time with him, even though he had Nino, Alya and Marinette, this was different. This was completely new, someone who wasn't in his school and could chose never to speak to him again and get away with it, simply because they didn't even run in the same circles. 

Juleka and Nino finally lifted their heads up, and Nino was the one to speak, "Adrien has received 98% answers correct,  _however,_ the winner, who also got 98% and finished first, is Luka!" 

Adrien stared at Luka in disbelief. They'd  _both_  gotten 98%? How good was Luka at math's? Did he really need help to study, or did he just want to hang out with Adrien? The second option made his heart do another small flip, and he tried to tell it to stop, which obviously worked a treat. Especially when Luka offered Adrien a gem of a smile and congratulations. 

"Congratulations to both participants," Nino said happily, standing and clapping his hand onto Adrien's shoulder in celebration. Adrien beamed proudly, he'd just gotten 98% on a math's test, that was reason to be happy. 

Luka turned to Adrien as the crowd dissipated, deciding that the action had cleared. "how'd you get to be so good at math's? I thought for  _sure_  I had this one in the bag, but it was close," he said, trying to keep his egotistical tone but losing it to curiosity. 

Adrien shrugged. "I could ask you the same question. I was homeschooled, and my father always made a point of math's being the most important for his line of work." 

At the mention of Adrien's father, Luka's face fell, knowing it was a sore spot for the younger boy. He gave a reassuring smile. "I've always enjoyed it, it's like a song that's already been played, you know? To get the right notes you've got to find the correct answer." 

"Everything is musical for you, isn't it?" Adrien asked lightly. 

"I mean, music is the easiest form of communication, isn't it? Each song, each note, has a different meaning. Every note portrays a feeling that can't be explained with words," he explained, voice falling to passion as he spoke. Adrien smiled as he heard this. 

"I wish I could feel so strongly about anything," Adrien said slowly, almost with a hint of sadness.

Luka shrugged easily, "it'll happen, you just have to find your calling." 

The blonde smiled, finding the words of encouragement effective. He'd found a calling, being Chat Noir was certainly something that called to him. The freedom and power he felt whenever he donned the mask, strength and grace he could possess. It also helped that he was never truly alone now, not with his small Kwami to keep him company - if one could really call Plagg pleasant company. 

Being Chat Noir, he felt different. New. He wasn't himself, the innocent boy who only lived to fulfill his father's wishes. He was a strong and independent young man who was finding his own way through the world on a cloud of his own. Without his Miraculous, he wouldn't've been able to attend school, nor have the friends associated with that. He wouldn't have met Ladybug, either, and he maintained that she was the best part of his life to date. Though, playing in Luka's band came a close second. 

_Luka_ 's band? Since when had it become  _Luka's_  band? Adrien was pretty sure it was just  _the_  band, or his  _friends_  band, not  _Luka's_  band. What did that mean for Adrien? That he was starting to see the group differently, or that he was seeing  _Luka_ differently. They were friends, that much had become clear – how strong their friendship was remained to be seen – and yet, he was friends with the rest of the group too. 

Realizing that he was, in fact, standing  _with_  Luka, he snapped his head up and met the amused expression belonging to his new friend. Luka had mirth in his eyes, clearly enjoying the comfortable silence. Adrien hadn't even  _realized_  Luka had been staring at him, too busy wrapped in his own world, too busy contemplating what it meant for it to be  _Luka's band_. 

"You good, Adrien?" Luka asked, only a hint of actual concern in his words, otherwise sounding amused. 

Adrien shook off his thoughts and replaced his vacant expression with one of happiness. Almost false, but how could he ever be upset when he was in the presence of his friend? "Just contemplating how I'm going to defeat you next time," he said lightly, completely erasing all negative thoughts from his mind. 

Luka snorted. "I'd like to see you try. Keep dreaming, lad." 

Adrien found himself grinning at the term, it was the same he'd used over the phone the night before. It sounded better coming from Luka, Adrien had to admit, he didn't have the personality to be a pirate. Didn't mean he couldn't try, right? After all, he was a black cat. 

"Ay, ye landlubber could never –" he paused as soon as he saw the way Luka positively flinched at the use of his term 'landlubber', he'd only meant it as a playful insult, but the way Luka reacted, was almost as though Adrien had said it deliberately to offend him. And apparently, it had worked. Luka recovered, standing stoically, but Adrien could see all evidence of mirth gone, leaving a shell-shocked Luka. 

"What's wrong?" Adrien asked, careful to keep his voice low so his other friends wouldn't have noticed anything wrong. 

Luka shook his head, placing a clearly forced smile onto his face. "It's nothing." 

It clearly wasn't 'nothing', as he'd so eloquently put, but Adrien didn't feel able to pry, they weren't close enough for that. Not yet. Adrien did hope, maybe one day he'd hear all about Luka's interesting life, the reasons he'd had to move schools. Perhaps he'd finally be able to put together the puzzle that is Luka. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," he said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. 

Luka shrugged and shook his head, eyes still holding the sadness that Adrien hated to see. "I know. It's fine, Adrien." 

Once again, he clearly wasn't fine, but Adrien wasn't going to push. How could he, when Luka had closed up so much? He wanted the carefree musician back. "Have you always played the guitar?" He asked, hoping a change of subject would ease Luka's sadness. Adrien truly couldn't bare seeing him so upset, not when he knew he'd been the one to set him off. 

Luka's face changed, and he was beginning to show real signs of happiness, grateful for the subject change. "I used to play violin, back in grade school. Quit first year, high school just after I'd started guitar." He said easily. First year? That was around when he'd have to move schools, right? Did his music taste have something to do with his move? So many questions, so little answers. 

"Violin? Did you play the classics?" Adrien asked instead. It wasn't his place, they weren't best friends, they probably weren't as close as Adrien may have thought they were, if the previous instance was anything to go by.

"Yes, but not by choice. Hence why I got out of it," Luka replied. Adrien looked down. If only it were that easy for  _him_. He'd love to be able to just tell his father no, he didn't want to anymore. But he couldn't, Gabriel would never accept a failure for a son. 

"We could have done a duet," Adrien said, not even thinking as the words tumbled out. Luka stared at him in surprise, before a smile fell onto his face. 

"I suppose, we still could. I kept my violin, and it's not hard to play." No, because Luka found everything easy, of course. Adrien wasn't bitter about this, not in the slightest, he was happy for Luka, he just wished things were easy for  _him_  sometimes too. Maybe then his relationship with his father would be better. 

Adrien smiled, "I'd like that. Get my father off my back." Other than the part where he's supposed to be a  _solo_  artist. He was no soloist, that much was clear. Everything he excelled at, he'd had help. Friends, support, teamwork. Math's he'd had a tutor to help, Ladybug was his partner, his friends made him who he was. Piano was the only part of his life where he played solo, and he disliked it the most. Since joining the band, he'd come to appreciate the intricate instrument. Before, it had only been a chore.

"Is your father as strict as Juleka says he is?" Luka asked curiously. 

Adrien scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, looking briefly to Juleka, who was talking to Rose (Rose was talking to her, more like), then back to Luka. "Ah, I mean, he's my father. He has my best interests at heart." At least, he hoped that’s what Gabriel was aiming for. 

Luka smiled and reached his hand out, gently touching Adrien's shoulder. "It's ok, I get it. I mean, I  _don't_ , my mum doesn't stop me from playing music I wanna play, but he's your father," he paused, waiting to see if Adrien would respond, which he didn't, "I'm just happy you're happy." Another pause, a concerned look, "you are  _happy,_ aren't you?" 

Adrien let out a short laugh and nodded, "yes, I am." Now, at least. He probably wouldn't be when he got home, but for now, yes. He was. 

Luka beamed widely, his eyes lighting up. He looked at his watch for a moment before groaning. "Gotta head back to school and let everyone know I beat you to dust," he said.

"This time, yes." Adrien agreed.

"Until next time, Adrien." Luka turned to leave as Adrien waved, fare welling his friend. 

With Luka gone, Adrien felt somehow alone, darker, like some of the light had gone from the room. He shook it off, writing it off on shadows, walking over to his friends. Nino gave him a congratulatory pat on the back, where Marinette and Alya just cheered for him. 

"You'll get him back, Adrien. He was lucky," Nino said helpfully. 

Adrien rolled his eyes, "he likes math's, that's not a problem."

"Maybe next time a science experiment?" Nino suggested. 

Adrien winced, remembering experiments gone wrong in the lab because Nino hadn't been paying proper attention. There was no way they were going to leave  _Nino_  to decide the challenge if they were to decide upon science. 

"Ok, yeah, maybe not." Nino agreed. 

"You could play a good ol fashioned game of soccer?" Alya suggested.

"With just two people?" Adrien cocked his head to the side, wondering how it would actually work. It was a good idea, he just didn't know how to execute it. 

"Teams? We could just play next band session, instead of practicing for the whole time?" It was Marinette who proposed this, and Adrien had to admit it was a good plan. Friends, good. Soccer, good. 

"Does it have to be a competition?" Adrien asked instead. 

Nino shook his head, "could just be a fun day in the park, get the whole group together."

"Luka too?" Adrien found himself asking, even without thinking the words through first. He was usually so good about thinking his words through, given the amount of secrets he actually had. 

"Don't see why not, he's a good fellow." Nino agreed. Adrien noticed Marinette's face go red and Alya send her a knowing look, he had to wonder what was going on there, especially when Marinette ducked her head away from Alya. 

Adrien made his way through the rest of the day, happy with his friends, getting home and still feeling residual happiness. Once in the safety of his room, he allowed the stress from his day to fizzle out, Plagg drifting out of his hiding place and consuming as much cheese as he could. Adrien merely flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. 

He'd managed to upset Luka, lose a competition and defend his father all in one sitting. He hadn't meant to upset Luka, and he truly hoped he hadn't lost his friendship because of it. To lose a friend so soon, well, Adrien wasn't sure he'd be able to recover very quickly. Which didn't make much sense, he'd barely even met Luka, and yet he was determined not to lose him as a friend? 

Adrien covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. He only opened them when he heard Plagg complaining about Adrien's phone going off incessantly. He slowly moved to get the phone, expecting messages from Nino, or Luka saying he didn't want to be friends anymore, to see a message saying he wasn't allowed to be in the band anymore. His heart clenched, he closed his eyes and clicked to unlock his phone, hoping for the best, fearing the worst.

The first message he saw was from Nino, and it made his blood run cold. a viral thread post had been screenshotted and sent through the phone to Adrien, of a blurred photo containing Luka and Adrien in their math's battle, the caption reading  _'Golden boy loses to musician?'_

Adrien had to pray his father never saw these posts, because otherwise, he'd be grounded for life. It wouldn't even matter that going to school wasn't optional, for his father, it was. He'd never see the outside of his room again now. 

A message from Luka caught his attention, and he clicked to open it, heart clenched tight, already in hyperspace from the viral thread. 

> **Sorry about today**
> 
> **I'm up for a duet whenever** **ur** **free**
> 
> **Lemme** **know what suits you**
> 
> **Adrien**
> 
> **Don't ignore me**
> 
> **It wasn't your fault**
> 
> **I don't know who posted it**
> 
> **I'm sorry**
> 
> **Adrien**
> 
> **??**

He sighed, pressing his phone to his chest silently, looking at the ceiling. At least Luka seemed apologetic about the viral thread, even if it meant he would never be seeing him again. 

He sat bolt upright, realizing that it meant that no, Luka wasn't trying to leave him, he was trying to fix things between them, and Adrien just needed to respond. He hastily typed a message that he hoped would do them both justice, watching as Plagg observed the situation from Adrien's shoulder. 

> _Only just saw your message now, I promise I wasn't ignoring you._
> 
> _I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. You have nothing to_ _apologize_ _for._
> 
> _Don't worry about the post, I'm not_

Which was, of course, a massive lie, because at that moment, his father entered the room. It was clear that Gabriel was in no mood for games, and, upon seeing his son just sitting on his bed, became further enraged. Adrien swallowed nervously, preparing to accept his fate. 

"You saw that guitarist again." It wasn't a question. Adrien nodded anyway. "as an Agreste, you have a reputation to uphold. You have dishonored yourself, Adrien."

Dishonor on him, or on Gabriel? Adrien didn't feel ashamed, he'd only lost by a couple of seconds. It wasn't exactly a big deal, his father was just exaggerating things, as he usually did. 

"I'm not going to ground you, Adrien, but if I  _ever_  hear that you are hanging around that boy again, being grounded is the least of your concern. Am I understood?" That was... almost fair? 

Adrien nodded, and mumbled a "yes sir," as his father left. He lent back on his pillow, bringing his phone to his face. He ignored the messages from Luka, instead messaging his true friend, the one who was able to actually understand his situation, because he had firsthand experience with how harsh Gabriel Agreste could be. 

> _Father has seen the thread_
> 
> Nino: crud. What'd he do?
> 
> _Nothing. Forbade me from ever seeing him again though._
> 
> Nino: rough.
> 
> Nino: you k
> 
> _Yeah, thank you._
> 
> Nino: you really liked him
> 
> Nino: he's a good guy
> 
> _Not helping_
> 
> Nino: sorry
> 
> Nino: we'll just have to make sure no one sees you guys
> 
> _I wish it were that easy_
> 
> _He's got eyes everywhere_
> 
> Nino: Trust me, that wasn't the last you've seen of Luka.
> 
> Nino: not if I have anything to say about it
> 
> _Thanks_
> 
> _I owe you one_
> 
> Nino: repay with some time on your fancy game cubes
> 
> _Yeah,_ _I think I can manage that_

Adrien smiled as he moved away from Nino's texts, and towards the more daunting ones from Luka. 

> **Glad to see** **ur** **alive**
> 
> **Everything clear** **ur** **end**
> 
> _All good over here_
> 
> **He grounded you.**
> 
> _No...._
> 
> **Took away phone** **privileges** **?**
> 
> _Clearly not. I'm texting you._
> 
> **…**
> 
> **Told you never to speak to me again?**
> 
> _Bingo_
> 
> **Hm. Well, how are we supposed to do a duet?**

Adrien read the message multiple times, trying to make sure he read it right. Yep, Luka was still trying to arrange a meeting with him. His face broke into an enormous grin, one that had Plagg fake gagging at the happiness radiating from the blonde. 

> **Guess we'll have to be sneaky**

His heart gave a small jump at the new message, and he felt his hands grow shaky, probably at the thought of going behind his father's back again. He'd been forbidden from seeing Luka, and here he was, planning on seeing him again. 

> _You could disguise yourself_
> 
> **Ha. You're funny.**
> 
> _One of my many talents_
> 
> **I'm sure.**
> 
> **I'll work it out. When you free next?**
> 
> _Band practice on_ _Saturday_ _is my next excuse out of the house._
> 
> **That's like four days away**
> 
> _Math's_ _. Nice._
> 
> **Shush.**
> 
> **I'm working out a plan.**
> 
> _I'm not ignoring you, just getting some homework done. Shocker, didn't get a chance to do it today._
> 
> **Talk later, Adrien.**
> 
> _Yep_

Looking forwards to it. Adrien sighed, pressing the phone to his chest once more. He rolled over on the bed and looked to his window, where he could see Paris bustling about. It was easy, being in his room. Safe. It was safe, being friends with Nino. Luka though, he was a whole new board game, creating exciting paths for Adrien to follow. He'd never imagined he'd be excited to forgo his father's orders, but here he was, planning and talking to the boy he'd just been forbidden to see, simply for the sake of friendship. He imagined, if it ever came to it and his father forbade Ladybug from seeing Adrien, he'd be upset. But something told him if he was truly not allowed to see or talk to Luka, he'd lose it completely. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat meets Luka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to EVERYONE for your AMAZING comments <3 you all mean the world to me!! I had a lot of trouble uploading this chapter for some reason, so sorry if it said I've updated several times!

Two days passed without contact from Luka, but Adrien wasn't concerned. He was busy, with school work and training, not to mention there had been two akumas in just as many days. He also wasn't concerned because Luka was going to band practice, and that was in two days regardless.  

When he was finally able to collapse on the Thursday evening, he noticed a text from Luka, making his chest ache. He'd forgotten his happiness surrounding texts from his friend. It wasn't even a meaningful text, just a little greeting. The start to a conversation perhaps? Regardless, Adrien couldn't stop himself from replying.  

> _Been super busy, you?_  

There was a short gap between texts, in which Adrien was able to flick through and talk to Nino about the homework he'd already completed, but Nino was having some trouble with it.  

> **Apparently being in senior year actually means something?**  
> 
> _Whaa_ _?_  
> 
> **Yeah, I know. Who designed these courses?**  
> 
> _A lot of really well-versed people_  
> 
> **Yeah all right.**  
> 
> **I got out my violin today**  
> 
> **First time in four years**  
> 
> _Enjoyable?_  
> 
> **I mean, not particularly no.**  
> 
> **I remember why I quit**  
> 
> _We don't need to do a duet_  
> 
> **We're doing it**  
> 
> _Ok...?_  
> 
> **Sorry. We're doing it, because maybe then you have a chance of enjoying music.**  

Adrien read the text multiple times, sure that no one could possibly be  _that_  selfless. He would willingly play an instrument he'd given up just so he could make Adrien enjoy playing his own? Seemed counterproductive, but, Adrien also found his heart swelling with joy, hope, and some other emotion he couldn't quite name. Happiness, probably. 

> _My dad's away for a business trip this weekend._  
> 
> **Is this you inviting me over?**  
> 
> _I mean, if you want?_  
> 
> **I'll bring movies.**  
> 
> _Just your violin and yourself._  
> 
> **Very well then.**  
> 
> **My violin and myself.**  
> 
> **Not even some popcorn?**  
> 
> _I think I've got snacks covered._  

Yeah, but, inviting his banned friend over on the weekend when his dad was away? As if that wasn't risky enough, they'd be playing together so how could the Agreste family staff _not_ notice there was someone else in the house? He'd really bitten off more than he could chew with this one, but he intended on sticking it out. He would, because a little bit of Luka was worth it.  

It was thoughts like that which scared him. How quickly had he become so attached to Luka? If he ever had a falling out with him, would Adrien be able to recover swiftly? What did it mean for him, when he'd never had a relationship like this with anyone? Not even Nino, he was dependent on Nino, but not to this extreme. Certainly not as quickly. 

On the flip side, he wasn't sure what Luka thought of their friendship. Given that he was two years older, in senior year and also a musician, he had no clue what went on inside his mind. Did he value their friendship, or was he simply friends with him because he was an Agreste? He hated to think that way, especially when he knew it wasn't true with Luka, but he could never just brush past that thought. Perhaps Luka saw a temporary band mate in him, until he found a better one he'd do. 

Adrien refused to dwell on it further, choosing to instead ignore his phone for the rest of the evening in favor of sleeping.  

 

* * *

 

Adrien didn't have a great start to his Friday morning. His father was leaving for his two-night business trip, giving Nathalie a firm list of activities for Adrien to complete, and cancelling Adrien's free time for the Saturday. He felt his father was doing it out of spite, he really should have just grounded him before. Adrien disliked whoever had thought it was a great idea to post his demise on social media. He also disliked whichever staff member brought it to his father's attention.  

School was long, boring and hard, he just wanted to go home. Instead, he got an akuma downtown, terrorizing another school. Adrien wouldn't say he was upset about it, he just really wanted to go home and ignore the world. Tired, he was tired.  

Snapping out of the funk, Chat Noir leapt off towards the devastation caused by a crazed teacher, who'd apparently been fired. Yeah, now she was firing everyone else – from earth. Nice. Chat Noir drew in the Akuma's attention easily, lazily twirling his baton. He grinned when she spun, firing rounds at his general area, missing every time. He just has to distract her long enough for Ladybug to get there anyway. His job wasn't as important as hers in the great Akuma battle. 

Chat Noir ducked behind a pillar as her unrelenting shots became fiercer, and he was unable to simply block them with his staff. He glanced around, hoping Ladybug was nearby. Thankfully, his eyes landed on the red polka dotted heroine as she swung onto the scene, narrowly missing one of the Akuma's shots. She grinned to Chat Noir, who winked at her. She shook her head, her expression amused.  

A cry from down on the ground startled both heroes, and Chat Noir looked on in horror as he saw his new friend the new target for the Akuma. Without thinking, Chat Noir darted in front, swinging his baton to deflect the shots as fast as he could. Fire Brigade, as the Akuma called herself, growled at Chat Noir and fired another round. Ladybug swung onto the scene, successfully distracting the akuma, and drawing her away from Luka.  

Chat Noir turned to the stunned Luka, who was staring in surprise at Chat. "Thank you," Luka said, a smile on his face. Chat Noir let out a small breath, in relief and happiness, seeing that his friend was safe.  

"Stay safe," Chat advised, leaping back into battle to help Ladybug, trying to deflect any shots that could potentially land on Luka. He hadn't realized how devoted he'd been to the cause until after the fight and Ladybug came up to him with a look of confusion.  

"You really didn't want Fire Brigade hitting that student," she said, tilting her head to the side, gesturing over to where Luka was greeting his confused friends. Chat felt a small sliver of something nasty building up inside his chest, unsure what to call the emotion, but fairly sure it was jealousy. Why, well. That was the question.  

"It's our job to protect the people of Paris," Chat deflected easily, looking away from Ladybug, who merely smiled knowingly.  

"You become friends after the attack from his mum?"  

Chat feigned ignorance. "That was his mums ship?"  

Ladybug hummed, "something's changed for you, Chat. You’re not making as many puns. I like it."  

Chat stared at her for a moment, trying to work out if he was serious. Sure, she'd never actually been amused by his puns, but surely she hadn't hated them? Come to think of it, he  _had_  stopped making so many puns. He'd, dare he say it, stopped flirting with her so frequently too. He reeled at the realization, confused, because what the  _heck_  did that mean? 

"If they bugged you so much, I would have fur gone them from our play dates," he said cheekily, watching her eyes roll as a smile placed on her face.  

Ladybug waved goodbye as she swung herself out of the building to return to her own life, leaving Chat Noir standing by himself. He quickly shook off the strange feelings, that perhaps he should have gone with her, perhaps something  _had_  changed for him. Something was making him stay there.  

He saw Luka, standing off to the side, almost on his own, almost awkwardly positioned. Chat gave him a puzzled expression, and Luka straightened, giving him a stiff smile. Chat wasn't going to accept such behavior from his friend, even if Luka didn't realize they knew each other.  

"Chat Noir," he introduced himself, holding out his hand in greeting.  

Luka huffed out a laugh, "I think all of Paris knows who you are. I'm Luka."  

"Juleka's brother, right?" He said, as though he didn't already know such details.  

Luka cocked his head in confusion. "Yeah, how'd you know?"  

Chat shrugged easily. "Had a feline."  

The older teen barked out a laugh, and Chat's face lit up, a smile crossing his features at the sound. "I see Juleka was correct when she said you had awful puns."  

Chat feigned hurt, pressing a hand to his chest. "I thought they were rather  _claw_ ver." He paused, remembering that Luka had indeed asked a question, and his miraculous was making itself known. "There's often akumas originating from Juleka's school. Also, I recognize you from Captain Hardrock's debut." 

Luka smiled, relaxing slightly. "Shouldn't you be off chasing Ladybug?" 

"I wanted to make sure you were ok," Chat said, giving him a soft smile. Luka seemed surprised, his eyes widening. He took a step back slightly, Chat automatically feeling bad. "Sorry, next time I'll leave you to the mercy of the akuma."  

Luka cracked a smile, "I look forwards to defending my own honor."  

Chat glanced at his ring, down to his last dot, and frowned. "I must leave, apologies kind sir," he gave a gracious bow, which had Luka turning a brighter shade, and Chat beamed. "Until next time, my prince."  

He sped off before the implications of his words actually hit him, not even glancing back to see how Luka had reacted to his words. He didn't think he meant much from them, he'd called Marinette his princess, but he'd never called any of his friends a prince. Heck, he'd never spoken to  _anyone_  after a fight who wasn't  _Ladybug_ , his reigning  _queen_.  

Plagg demanded cheese as soon as he was freed, big shock, and Adrien was too shell shocked to actually argue. The kwami, obviously picking up on his wielders distress, sat on his shoulder to assist the situation. Unfortunately, he held his cheese wheel in his paws – claws? - and Adrien gagged, pushing the black cat from his shoulder. Plagg feigned annoyance, claiming his cheese a true delicacy, one that mere humans would never hope to understand. Adrien was almost glad he wouldn't, because it smelt awful.  

"What's your problem now? Your fathers away, you should be dancing for joy."  

Adrien frowned, looking out his window at the city below him. He tried to get the image of Luka out of his head, Luka standing by himself, looking uncomfortable. He never wished to see him like that again, so vulnerable. He wanted the carefree and magical Luka he'd come to enjoy, the Luka who tested Adrien's comfort zone, helped him to embrace his own passion outside of Chat Noir.  

"I called him a prince," Adrien said instead. Plagg would never understand what was going through his head, not about Luka. He barely understood Adrien's feelings for Ladybug.  

Plagg didn't seem particularly phased by this news. "So? What's the problem?"  

"The problem? He doesn't even know who I am!" Not that he'd had an issue before, when he'd called Marinette his princess. But, he knew her from school. Ladybug  _herself_ had said to Chat to take care of Marinette. This wasn't because Chat Noir wanted to watch out for an akuma's target, this was Adrien trying to watch out for his friend. Adrien trying to keep his friend safe.  

"Just text him, Adrien. You've got yourself so worked up, it's making my cheese taste bad." As he said this, Plagg consumed the rest of his cheese in one swallow, patting his belly happily. Good ol Plagg making his concerns for Adrien seem like his own best interests. Only Plagg could make that seem normal.  

Instead of commenting on his Kwami's strangeness, he whipped out his phone. He immediately realized that he had indeed managed to miss the last class of the day, the Akuma stepping in over time. He only caught on when he saw messages from Nino asking him where he was, and then another explaining the homework he had for the weekend. Adrien loved that Nino did that for him. He sent a thank you text, and also an apologetic one, hoping Nino got them before his date with Alya that evening.  

Adrien drafted several texts, each one worse then the other, before he was able to finally settle on one he was mildly happy with.  

> _Heard there was an_ _akuma_ _at your school. You ok?_  

As he waited for a response, hoping that Luka wouldn't make him wait  _too_  long, because he was dying to have answers, he texted Marinette.  

> _Hey Marinette! I'm busy this weekend, but I can offer you fencing help after practice next week? - Adrien :)_  

He didn't mention anything about being banned from leaving the house, or that Luka was  _supposed_  to be joining him, but he didn't want to explain that sort of thing over text. He needed to work himself out first, then worry about his other friends.  

With no response on his phone, he did his homework, practiced his piano, ate some dinner, flopped on his bed with a book, played with his basketball hoop with Plagg, basically everything capable of distracting him from thinking about anything he didn't explicitly want to think about. At least he was productive, Nathalie couldn't complain when she came to check on Adrien and found him studiously playing at his piano. Granted, he didn't have his carefree smile on his face, but at least he was  _actually_  practicing. Perhaps his father had caught onto his ploy.  

Adrien had accepted that Luka wasn't going to text him back, about to go to bed when he saw his screen light up. He immediately leaned over to check the message, a smile forming on his face as soon as he read who the message was from.  

> **How'd you hear about it?**  
> 
> _Alya's page. Likes to keep everyone updated._  
> 
> **Oh.**  
> 
> **Yeah I'm fine.**  

Adrien stared at the messages in confusion. He knew how it felt to be paranoid, he was semi famous, he had to choose carefully when it came to strangers, so reading messages like this from someone like Luka, well. It was definitely strange.  

He decided to try and change the topic, only slightly, to see if he could find the answers his mind was craving.  

> _Did you meet Ladybug?_  
> 
> **Ha! She barely even talks to Chat Noir.**  
> 
> **Did get to talk to him though. He's interesting.**  
> 
> _Yeah? I've only met them a couple of times._  
> 
> **He thinks his puns are funny.**  
> 
> **Someone should tell him they're not.**  
> 
> _I'm not_ _gonna_ _be the one to burst his bubble_  

Adrien knew, ok, he knew his puns weren't great. But, they made him happy, and that was really the main thing. Besides, every super hero needed their own style, and his was to crack jokes. He liked to laugh in the face of danger. That wasn't a crime.  

> **I don't know why Ladybug and Chat aren't dating.**  

Neither did Adrien. Well, he did. Because Ladybug, she was all work and no play. Adrien, he just wanted to have a little fun. He wanted to live. He wanted to be  _happy_. He used to think it was only Ladybug who could give him that, only she could help solve the loneliness of his existence. Now, he knows its not true. He's got Luka, sort of. Luka makes him happy in a way that Ladybug never truly did.  

> _Maybe she's dating someone else_  
> 
> **Maybe he is**  
> 
> _Haha_ _. Doubt it._  
> 
> **Maybe they're dating in secret.**  
> 
> _No one's that good at keeping secrets._  
> 
> **True.**  
> 
> **We on for the duet tomorrow?**  

The change of subject was so welcome to Adrien, that he let out a breath of relief. Yes, yes they were so on for the duet. He would make it work, make it so that Nathalie wouldn't want to check on him, make it so they wouldn't be heard. They'd use the roof.  

> _I can provide lunch._  
> 
> **Fancy. 11?**  
> 
>   1. _Nathalie's busy from lunch onwards._
> 

> 
> **Ah**  
> 
> _Does that not suit?_  
> 
> **I'll be there, cape and all.**  
> 
> _Are you Chat Noir now?_  
> 
> **Call me** **Mousart** **.**  
> 
> _HAHA_  

Adrien laughed allowed, because come  _on,_ _Mousart_ _?_  He'd put  _Mouse_ , and  _Mozart_  together, in a way that could absolutely be passed as a miraculous. Now  _that_  was a hero Adrien would love to fight along side with.  

> _I'm changing your name in my phone_  
> 
> **Oh no! Now everyone will know my secret identity!**  
> 
> _Too late_  

He had, too, changed Luka's name. It was no longer Luka, but rather,  _Mousart_ _*Luka_. If anyone asked, he'd pin it down to an inside joke. No one else would get it, because it was Adrien's sense of humor combined with Luka's passion for music.  

> **You'll have to tell me your secret identity now**  
> 
> **So we're even**  
> 
> _Call me_ _Bathoven_  

He was almost inclined to go with  _bee_ thoven, but that was too simple. Besides, bats were typically black, and he actually  _was_  Chat Noir. At least, whilst he had Plagg with him he was.  

> **Mystical powers of sleeping upside down?**  
> 
> _At least I don't fall prey to simple mouse traps_  
> 
> **Oh ho, bats got bite**  
> 
> _Caves are roomy though, I'd live in a cave_  
> 
> **Dark and gloomy? Not my style.**  
> 
> _No, you stow away on ships_  
> 
> **It's the life, man. Plenty of** **rations** **for mice like me.**  
> 
> _Except if they catch you. Better hope Chat never sees you, he'd eat you._  
> 
> **Mm. Could think of worse things**  

Adrien read the message a couple times over before his brain was able to function again. He knew it was in the spirit of their banter, which had become strangely familiar to Adrien, but, he couldn't help but think this was an admission that Luka may have liked Chat, at least a little bit?  

> _I'mma_ _sleep, I'll see you tomorrow yes?_  
> 
> **Wouldn't miss it**  

The blonde smiled, sending a smiley face through the chat, locking his phone and placing it to the side. he turned out the light, but then realized he hadn't explained to Luka how he was supposed to be sneaking in.  

> _How good is the mouse at sneaking around?_  
> 
> **I'd say quiet as a mouse, but you just stole my pun**  
> 
> _Text me when you're out the front, we're using the kitchen entrance._  
> 
> **Ooh, rebels**  
> 
> _Yep._  
> 
> **I am intrigued.**  
> 
> _Night, Luka._  
> 
> **Till tomorrow, batman.**  
> 
> ***** **Bathoven**  
> 
> **Autocorrect –_-**  
> 
> _I don't know how it corrected to Batman?_  
> 
> **NIGHT**  
> 
> _Haha_ _, night c:_  

He clicked his phone shut with a smile, wrapping his blankets around himself protectively, allowing his mind to shut down, excited about the promise the next day brought him. No matter what mixed feelings he was feeling, he knew one for sure: Luka was his friend. That thought helped him to sleep, eased him completely. He would worry about the implications of his estranged feelings at a later date. Right now, at least he had Luka to look forwards to.  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the games begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took too long to write... getting some writers block... afraid it's moving too quickly but I don't want to slow it down either.. anyway, sorry for the delay!! I've been super busy with writers block oops

Adrien had never felt so many conflicting emotions. He went from excited, to nervous, to happy, to concerned, anticipation and joy. He wasn't going to lie, he felt nauseous, the idea that he would be sneaking around, but he should be used to that, right? Given that Chat Noir left the house so frequently and he never seemed to be caught. 

Instead, he focused on the positive emotions, the joy and happiness he felt, anticipation for his friend's arrival. At some point in the morning, he'd received a text from Marinette, agreeing to his offer to help after practice. He'd also received messages from Nino, telling him (proudly) how his date had gone with Alya the previous night. Adrien hadn't realized he was jealous until he'd finished his conversation with his friend and took a moment to name the tightness, the  _bitterness_  in his chest.

He'd been jealous a  _lot_  in his life. He was a homeschooled boy who just wanted to get outside and live a little, of course he knew what jealousy was. He'd just never been jealous of a friend before, and certainly never jealous towards their relationship. It was a whole new feeling, and Adrien found he didn't like it.

Adrien sighed, collecting himself and completing the rest of his homework for the weekend. He didn't want to be weighed down by homework when Luka came round, or have to tell him to leave because he had to complete it. 

He was lucky he'd said 12, because at 11:30, Nathalie came into his room and announced that she would be busy, and he had some free time to himself – within the perimeter, of course. Adrien loved when she allowed him to have "free time" because it meant he was allowed to play his video games without guilt. In this case, it also meant he could sneak a friend in without being  _too_  concerned he'd be caught.

At exactly 12, he got a text from Luka, telling him he was outside. Adrien grinned, responding to the text and letting him know he was on his way. Luka was at the front entrance when Adrien found him, so the blonde directed him through to the back gate, where the staff used for their entries and exits. 

Once they were inside the kitchens, Adrien relaxed, noting that none of the staff were inside, so he grinned to Luka, who was looking around with awe on his face. 

"Can't say our galley is anything like  _this,"_ he said, reaching out to touch the silver benchtops of his industry sized kitchen. 

Adrien held a finger to his lips, indicating Luka to be quiet, and his friend immediately did so, clutching his violin case to his chest mockingly. Adrien rolled his eyes and directed them up the stairs the back way, towards his room. 

They both breathed an enormous sigh of relief as soon as the door was shut, giving each other grins of achievement. Adrien moved them towards the piano, Luka still staring in disbelief at the room. 

_"This_ is you room?" he asked in amazement.

Adrien scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "yeah, I mean, It's basically the only part of the house I'm actually  _allowed_ in, so may as well be way oversized." 

Luka stared at Adrien, as though trying to figure him out and failing miserably. Adrien smiled shortly, wanting to be having any conversation but this one. "Have you always lived like this?" He asked, hesitant, allowing Adrien to pull out of the conversation if he needed to.

Adrien shrugged, "I'm used to it, it's been this way since I can remember." He replied, no hint of annoyance in his tone, as some people might have been with the prying questions.

Luka looked like he was about to apologize, so Adrien held up his hand with a small smile. "Don't, it's not your fault. My dad, he's just protective."

"Man, and I thought  _I_ was the one with issues," Luka said lightly, with a chuckle. Did people actually chuckle? Because Luka definitely did – halfhearted and sarcastic, but still a  _chuckle_. 

Adrien didn't want to ask, he was curious but he didn't want to pry. Yet, he felt that for their friendship to actually get  _some_ where, they needed to actually start being honest with each other, even if that took a long time. "Oh? Care to share?"

Luka hung his head, a saddened smile on his lips, and Adrien instantly wished he hadn't asked. "I was bullied all through first year, that's why I moved schools. It's why I quit the violin, too. I mean, I would have quit it anyway, hello – guitar? But yeah," he drifted off, looking out the windows distractedly. 

Adrien wished he knew how to comfort his friend, he surely hadn't been expecting  _that_  from him. He'd known it was something similar, but he hadn't realized quite the depths Luka's feelings went, the past on his friend.

"Are things better for you now?" 

Luka shrugged. "Yeah, more or less. Nothing I can't manage now. Guess I'm immune to it," he said far too lightly. 

Adrien looked down, "I know how you feel, sort of. Never bullied, but I've never had a proper friend before I met Nino, my father, he just controlled my life. I had to sneak out of the house to get to school, and every time there's an akuma around my school, he just decides it's too dangerous." 

Luka smiled shakily, trying to get rid of his negative emotions, and Adrien stood taller, releasing the tension from his body. "I'm thankful I met you," Luka said, voice almost too quiet, and Adrien looked at him, stared, as a blush formed on his own face, heart speeding up. He had to look away before Luka could see the red on his cheeks.

"Likewise, it's nice, being friends," he could feel the wrongness of the words, the confusion at himself for the distaste for the words, and see the flicker of hurt go through Luka's face, all of which led to Adrien slamming open the piano and insisting they actually practice. 

He'd never seen Luka agree to anything faster.

Adrien had shaky hands, for the first time in a  _long_  time regarding the piano, as Luka pulled out a sleek brown violin, placing it comfortably against his chin. He played a soft tune, staring at Adrien, his eyes large and vulnerable, the melody sinking into Adrien's heart, weaving a new path he couldn't even comprehend. 

The blonde listened, recognizing the piece Luka had chosen, his fingers running along the ebony and ivory keys, joining in automatically, almost mechanically, his attention only on Luka's own playing, the sound of the strings, the careful movement of Luka's fingers over the violin, the bows movements. Mesmerizing, it was the only word for it, really. Adrien was simply mesmerized. 

Once the song ended, Luka gave the choice to Adrien, who played his favorite piece, because it was the only one he'd learned from his mother and father together. Luka listened to the song, a small smile forming on his face, his instrument joining the sounds pleasantly.

Adrien couldn't help himself, his face broke out into a wide grin, a laugh escaping his mouth as he heard their combined talents. He hadn't been able to enjoy playing the piano for such a long time, having Luka here made it worth it. He found a sense of pride in his ability to play, but also, he felt happiness, because he had someone who understood the music, who could play it too. He liked that it was Luka he was able to share this with. He liked Luka.

His fingers fumbled over the keys, hitting a wrong note and jarring the both of them, Luka staring at him in confusion. Adrien mumbled an apology, staring at the piano adamantly. Luka cocked his head, giving him a curious look.

"That song was beautiful Adrien. Where'd you learn it?" 

Adrien played with the edges of the keys for a moment, looking up into Luka's deep emerald eyes. "My mum played it for me when I was a kid." He said softly.

Luka's face softened and he relaxed his hold on his violin. "Was she nice?" 

"The best," Adrien smiled, looking up at Luka. 

"You're lucky to have met her," Luka said, voice saddened by something. 

Adrien nodded slowly, looking back at the piano. "I am. I just wish I remember more of her, I was so young, it's only her song I remember."

"I know what you mean." He paused, fingers tensing around the neck of his instrument. "I don’t remember my father, I was too young when he left." 

"Nothing?" Adrien asked in confusion. He was only young when his mother had disappeared, but he remembered her from memories of love.

"He wasn't nice, is what mum says. Left as soon as he heard Juleka was in the picture. Juleka's grown up hating him, but I don't know enough to do that," Luka said softly.

Adrien smiled, that was definitely something he could understand. "No matter how harsh my father is, he's still my father, and at least I have him." 

"Guess neither of us are perfect," Luka said wistfully.

Adrien shrugged, "where's the fun in that?"

Luka, instead of answering, ran his bow over the strings in an upbeat tune, plucking his strings merrily. Adrien listened to the odd form of conversation, waiting for the break, before adding his own version to the melody. 

Soon, the two boys were having a sort of dance, with Adrien and Luka taking turns, overlapping their instruments, playing in harmony to achieve great music. They were using their improvisation skills only, no sheet music or copying from other pieces, they were only playing their feelings. 

Adrien felt his chest about to burst as they played, emotions swimming through his head, his heart alight with joy. It was odd, this feeling of friendship, companionship, how close they'd become in such a short time. That Adrien would rather spend the day with Luka, talking to Luka, then just about anything else. If there was an akuma, he'd be in the fight, but otherwise, Luka. The thought scared him, as much as it confused him, it was also a comfort. 

There was a nagging feeling inside Adrien's chest that said he was missing something, missing something  _big_. That maybe the feelings of friendship were more than that, perhaps he wanted more from Luka. He wasn't sure he particularly wanted to find out though. 

Luka stopped his playing, putting the violin down, and looked around the room. "So, am I getting the grand tour?" 

Adrien smiled, hopping up from his position at the piano, and led him around the room, from the couch and tv, to his desk, the skateboard and basketball area, the library, his bed though he skipped over that last one. Luka was in complete awe of the room, admiration and surprise by the sheer  _size_ of the room. 

After the tour, Luka found himself placed in front of Adrien's desk, where his posters of Ladybug were strewn about. He felt his cheeks heat up as Luka touched one of the posters gently, giving Adrien a smug look, yet his eyes held something completely different. Adrien didn't want to assume the emotion was jealousy, but it sure looked a heck of a lot like it. 

"A fan I see," he hummed, looking over all his photos of the masked hero. 

"She's amazing, beautiful and strong, graceful and powerful. Defender of Paris." Adrien said, tasting the words and hearing for the first time that maybe they weren't as true to his heart as he'd thought.  _What did that mean?! H_ e felt like screaming, he needed answers.

"You like her?" Luka asked, it wasn't an accusation, but Adrien felt that it might be, maybe Luka was testing him, testing his love for his partner. 

"Evidence would suggest that," he said uneasily. "She's a role model," he said instead of explaining that he'd had the biggest crush on Ladybug for the longest time. 

_HAD_

_Past tense_

Adrien found his grip on reality slipping, the confusion showing on his face as Luka gave him a sideways glance, trying to work out if he was ok. 

"You  _like_  her, that's why you didn't want Chat to be dating her!" Luka taunted, altogether too loud for Adrien's liking, anyone could have heard him. Adrien hurried to shush him, Luka shutting up but smirking none the less. 

"I mean, yes maybe? I think so, at least," Adrien muttered, more to himself then to Luka. If he didn't like Ladybug, what did that mean? If he wanted to spend all his time with Luka then with Ladybug, what did  _that_  mean? Adrien was fairly sure they were both guys, he was also fairly sure he himself was into girls. But then Luka comes along and makes him forget about Ladybug? No one had managed to capture his attention the way the colored haired guitarist had. Not even his beloved lady in red spots. 

Luka had a smug smile on his face, yet his eyes held something darker, even as his face showed mirth. Adrien knew his face was flushed, reddened by his own thoughts. "She's pretty cool, I will agree." 

Adrien smiled stiffly, knowing he was only trying to make him feel better. "It's how confident and strong she is," he said wistfully, earning a small laugh from Luka. 

"I know lots of people who are head over heels for the lady in red, you're not alone," he teased.

Adrien frowned and looked away, turning to face instead his windows. Luka immediately stopped laughing and looked at Adrien with an apologetic look. Adrien merely shrugged. "You're right though." He said dejectedly. "She could have her pick of anyone, why would she choose me?"

"Don't sell yourself short, Adrien. Even Chat Noir could go for you," Luka said lightly, trying to ease Adrien's downshifted mood. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked in confusion. 

Luka shrugged, suddenly interested in the hem of his shirt. "Just that the guy seems to flirt with everyone."

Well, that was news to him. He was fairly certain he only flirted with Ladybug, and occasionally Marinette, though that was only playful flirting. "Oh?"

"Yeah, called me a Prince," he scoffed, looking away, still fiddling with his shirt, almost  _creating_  problems in it. 

Adrien swallowed nervously, "is that a bad thing?" 

Luka stared at him openly, his eyes showing his vulnerable side, face tense, mouth thinned, "I'm the furthest thing from a prince." 

"I don't think so," Adrien murmured softly, hearing the quiet gasp released from his friend. He smiled hesitantly towards Luka, who reciprocated it gently.

"Thank you, Adrien," Luka whispered, looking up at the blonde through long lashes, eyes dark with secrets. Adrien merely smiled, fiddling with his own ring. 

"More songs?" Adrien asked, changing the subject. Luka breathed a heavy sigh of relief and immediately collected his instrument, bringing it up to his chin and running the bow over the strings dramatically. Adrien stilled as he listened, the conversation Luka was so clearly trying to share with him, words he couldn't put in the English language. 

Luka's music showed his hope, his light and his passion, for everything he did. It also showed his darkness, his fear, his insecurities, everything he tried to hide from the world. His music gave Adrien more information on his life than anything he could say in person. 

He was afraid, much as Adrien was, of getting too close to anyone – because of his father. He was happy he had the family he did, with his mother and Juleka. He was saddened that he had to leave his sisters school, where he couldn't protect her. He was happy to be able to play the instrument of his choice when he wanted to, and one that could express him so perfectly – the extended and drawn out irritated sounds the violin made demonstrated this. 

There were parts of the music Adrien couldn't quite understand, yet he knew enough to comprehend they were about emotions – love, happiness, hope. Adrien wished he knew how to interpret these notes, the blend of tones, how Luka could express himself without words, because everyone knew he was better with his music then his voice.

When he stopped, he looked down, pulling the violin away from his face, smiling softly at Adrien, who moved to sit beside the piano. 

"I don't think mine will be quite so powerful, but here goes," he said nervously, running his fingers over the familiar keys. 

The first part of his music was happiness – the first part of his childhood, where he was young and carefree with both his parents. It moved to sadness, the loss of his mother, his father becoming a tyrant. Happiness again – when he'd met Ladybug, he'd met Nino, Alya and Marinette, been accepted into school. He stepped into unknown territory with confusion – his feelings towards Luka, feelings towards Ladybug. He finished it off with hope, that he would somehow figure it all out, that he'd be good. 

"Wow." Luka said, voice all awe, eyes wide as he took in what the piece meant. 

"Guess you're not the only one who can speak through music." Adrien said awkwardly. 

Luka barked out a laugh, "it's easier then talking, you can get more through the music." 

"Yeah," Adrien agreed slowly, "when's the band meeting next?"

Luka shrugged. "Jules wanted to meet today, but I told her you weren't allowed out of the house." 

"You don't have to cancel because of me!" He said quickly, because if they relied on him being there, well, they wouldn't have many practice times. 

"Either the whole band, or none of it. Juleka understands, she's hanging out with Rose instead." Luka said easily. 

Adrien felt his chest burst with happiness at his words. He felt on top of the world, being able to be a part of something that made him happy, that brought others happiness. "I'm glad your sister has such a good friend." 

Luka looked startled for a moment, like he was choking on his words, something he wanted to say but knew he couldn't, yet almost offended at what Adrien had said. "Yeah, they're good friends." Adrien took the tone as bitterness, as though the words weren't quite right in Luka's mouth. 

He cocked his head to the side. "You don't like her?" 

Luka shook his head rapidly, "that's not it at all, she's absolutely wonderful, and she's a perfect match for Juleka."

"Then?" Why the tenseness? Why the secrecy? Was something up with them? 

"I wish I could tell you, but it's really not my story to tell." 

"Ah, well then. Sorry I asked," Adrien said it lightly, not offended in the slightest. He knew it wasn't his business, and he didn't want to pry. If Luka wasn't ready to tell him something, he wasn't going to push it. 

Luka held up his hand, "don't be, I'd love to tell you, but I promised Jules."

"Big secret keeper, you are," Adrien said lightly, a teasing smile on his face. 

"Well, I can't be an open book like some people," Luka remarked. 

Adrien held a hand to his chest in mock hurt, "I'll have you know I have many secrets that no one knows," except for Plagg, his Kwami knew practically everything about Adrien's life at this point. He hadn't realized how important the Kwami had become in terms of a confident, because without Plagg, he didn't have anyone to talk to. He couldn't talk to Nino about half the things on his mind, about his father or mother. He couldn't really talk to Plagg about his romantic feelings either, the black cat just ranted about his cheese. 

"I'll believe it when I see it," Luka quipped.

Adrien laughed happily. Luka smiled, easily making Adrien's heart flutter. He looked down to his watch, heart faltering as he read the time. Crap. They'd overstayed their welcome, he'd truly tested his luck. 

Luka noticed Adrien's change in demeanor immediately. "What's wrong?" 

"Nathalie should be coming in to check on me shortly, it’s a thing my father makes her do when he's away," he said, stress seeping into his voice. 

Luka placed a hand gently onto Adrien's shoulder, his warm eyes baring into Adrien's soul, warming him, relaxing him. The contact felt comforting, but warm, his shoulder burning under the weight of Luka's hand. Adrien glanced at the hand, before looking back to his friend. "It's fine, Adrien. We'll be fine. I'll slip out, no one'll know." 

"If she catches you, we'll never be allowed to do anything again! This was such a bad idea..." He fretted, ignoring the hand on his shoulder, ignoring his friend's efforts at calming him. 

Instead, Luka put his violin down and, with his hand still on his shoulder, used the other one to gently hold Adrien's other forearm, tingles spreading down his arm at the contact. Adrien stared at it in amazement, feeling the heat, the comfort, that such a simple touch could bring him. Luka was smiling gently. "We will be  _fine_." He emphasized, staring straight into Adrien's emerald eyes. 

Adrien drew in a deep breath. "Yes, alright. Yes."

Luka smiled and relaxed his hold on Adrien, yet still managing to make the contact seem natural. "we'll be quiet as a mouse," he said lightly. 

"I'm more of a cat," he said without even realizing it. 

Luka just rolled his eyes, "well, for now, we're the mice, and your staff are the cats." 

"A game," Adrien said skeptically. 

"Yes, a game. You up for the challenge?" He poked Adrien in the shoulder, releasing him, Adrien feeling the loss, the tingles vanishing, heat disappearing. 

"I'm Adrien Agreste, challenge is my middle name." 

Luka grinned. "Game on."

They immediately leapt into action, navigating the maze of the house, towards the back door. It truly was a miracle that Adrien managed to get through his own house without being spotted secretly harbouring his forbidden friend. Luka found it mildly amusing, how paranoid Adrien was, but, Adrien realised, he didn't understand the severity of the situation. Just how bad the consequences could  _actually_  be if they were caught. 

Adrien was tense, so tense, until he was safely back in his room, the door shut, sitting at his piano and resting his head against the keys, letting out a big sigh of relief. 

He hadn't been in the room four minutes before it was opened, and Nathalie popped her head around the door, looking at Adrien. She glanced briefly around the room, nodding to herself, before asking Adrien what progress he'd made, so she could tell her father. So, he made a story up, about his piano practice and homework, hoping it would appease her. She nodded, something on her face that Adrien couldn't quite get, but then she left, and Adrien was safe. 

It wasn't until later when he realized there was a violin sitting at the foot of Adrien's bed, nowhere near where Luka had been playing, but, he couldn't remember Luka leaving with the instrument either. Perhaps he'd left it there by accident? Perhaps on purpose? What was his game?

Adrien was starting to feel less like the cat, and more like the mouse. 

Instead of jumping to conclusions, he messaged Luka to let him know his instrument was still at his place. 

The response was instantaneous. 

> **I** **know**
> 
> **Gives me a reason to come back**
> 
> _I'll keep it safe_
> 
> **I** **trust you**

Adrien got the feeling he wasn't talking about the instrument. He sighed, placing the violin securely in his closet and closed his eyes, preparing himself to ignore the outside world for the next several hours and just relax. 

> **Thank you**


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic movie moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter :) hope it lives up to expectations :)

On Tuesday, Adrien gave Marinette a fencing lesson after their official session. The girl was clearly concentrating hard, if the beads of sweat on her face and determination set in her features was anything to go by. Adrien had to admire her persistence, even with something like fencing.

Adrien had messages from Nino about the fencing session, curious as to how Marinette had gone. Adrien simply told him that she was very good, a natural, and she could definitely be part of the team. Basically, he told Nino what he'd told Marinette. He'd enjoyed practicing with Marinette, she was a friend, and he enjoyed being with his friends. His skills in fencing were utilized as Chat Noir, increasing his fighting ability. 

Marinette had been blushing when she'd first rocked up for their session, but by the end she'd just been determined to complete the drills perfectly. He admired her passion, something he lacked in activities he'd been forced to complete. Marinette was clearly different from Adrien, from a different life style, and that was fine, because she was his friend, and that's what he needed more than anything. 

At home, he found himself at the piano, lazily playing a song his father had wanted him to learn, all the while staring at where he'd hidden Luka's violin. His father was busy, and Nathalie wasn't due to check in on him for at least an hour, he had time. 

Taking the chance, he pulled the string instrument from its case and gently picked up the bow. He hadn't played the violin before, instead watching other people play in in orchestras, listening to people play it at the ballet, symphony performances. His father had taken him to a few of them, to do the circuit and chat to important people, so Adrien could know for the future. 

Carefully, he ran the bow over the strings, cringing and pulling up as he heard the mistakes in his playing. Thinking fast, he pulled up a note chart, setting his fingers into correct figurations and then running the bow across, frowning when it still didn't sound right. Adrien glared at the note chart, trying to work out where he was going wrong, deciding it was the way the bow slid over the strings, trying again. 

He wasn't about to give up, not by any means, but he needed to learn properly, he couldn't self-teach when he didn't know even the basics. He decided he'd man up and just ask Luka, who actually knew how to play the instrument reasonably well. 

Adrien put the violin carefully back into its case and pulled out his phone, noticing a text he hadn't seen from Nino, asking if he wanted to join him and the gang for a movie. Adrien considered it, because that would be fun, but he doubted his father would allow him out of the house again. 

> Nino: every1s going
> 
> _Who's everyone?_
> 
> Nino: dude
> 
> Nino: Alya, Mari, Juleka, Rose, Alex, Mylene, Ivan
> 
> Nino: And Luka I think
> 
> Nino: Juleka asked to bring him along
> 
> _I'll ask._

He would have said no but seeing that Luka was going had changed his mind. There was definitely something amiss there, if he was so prepared to disobey his father's orders to simply see a friend. One he hadn't even known that long either.

Adrien braced himself for the inevitable failure, heading downstairs to find Nathalie. She was his best bet to actually get a message through to his father in a timely manner. She glanced up from her computer as she saw him enter, giving him a confused look. 

"I'd like to go see a film tonight, with some friends," Adrien asked hesitantly, the stern look on Nathalie's face setting, her eyes widening slightly at the request. Adrien rarely made requests like this, for good reason too - they were usually turned down regardless. He could always try though, right? 

Nathalie's lips thinned, picking up the phone and calling his father, in the room beside them. Convenience was everything, right? Adrien couldn't tell what they were saying, only that Nathalie's eyes widened ever so slightly, and she nodded, her face emotionless. 

She hung up the phone and turned to give Adrien a firm look. He was fully prepared to accept that he wasn't going to see the movie. "Your father has allowed it for tonight, if you take your driver to and from the theatre and keep your phone on you." 

Adrien's face lit up, smile so bright he thought he might be able to beat a light bulb. He hurried back to his room before his father could change his mind, sending a text to Nino to affirm he was going. Nino replied instantly with the movie times and their current plans. 

He shouldn't have been surprised when he got a text from Luka with a happy face. He shouldn't have been, but he was, he still wasn't used to having a friend like him. 

> _Does that mean you're going to the film_ _also_
> 
> **Duh**
> 
> **Jules told me**
> 
> _Do you like the_ _movie?_
> 
> **Superhero's** **and mythology**
> 
> **Course I like it**
> 
> _Am I asking stupid questions or is something wrong_

There was a brief pause, uncommon for Luka when he was texting Adrien. He was getting the feeling that Luka didn't particularly want to talk to Adrien, and that was fine, he'd like to know why - if he was willing to tell him that much of course. 

> **Sorry, rough day. Didn't mean to take it out on you**
> 
> _I'm used to it_
> 
> **Yeah, that makes me feel LOADS better**

Adrien smiled as he read the message, he wanted to make his friend feel better, he just didn't know quite how. Usually it was his friends cheering him up, not the other way around. He wasn't cut out for this friend business. 

> _Wanna_ _talk about it?_
> 
> **Later**

He could take that, it wasn't an outright no. Maybe he'd like to talk about it in person, Adrien usually preferred to talk about upsetting things in person. Adrien gathered his things and headed out of the house, where his driver was already waiting beside the car. He gave a smile to the Gorilla, who merely grunted as they drove towards the theatre. 

His friends were all there already, waiting for his arrival. Adrien waved to them as he got out of the car, spotting Luka standing awkwardly behind Juleka. Why was Luka the first he noticed? Nino should have been - he was his best friend. 

Adrien shook himself from his thoughts and smiled to his friends, who all cheered as Adrien approached. Nino slung an arm around his shoulder casually. "Glad you were allowed to make it," he said happily. 

"Yeah, same." 

"How'd you get out of the house?" Alya asked, her voice implying that he'd snuck out. 

Adrien shrugged, "guess my father was feeling particularly generous tonight," he replied.

Nino grinned, dragging them into the theatre, taking up almost an entire row with their group. Adrien sat beside Nino, with Luka placing himself hesitantly beside Adrien, as though he was going to say no. Adrien smiled up at him, and Luka relaxed immediately. 

Beside Luka were Juleka and Rose, who were the end of the isle. Nino and Alya were together, Marinette on the other side, with Alex, Ivan and Mylene next. Adrien turned to Luka as the ads rolled onto the screen. 

"So, how are you?" he asked, already knowing that Luka wasn't going to get away with saying they were fine. Luka seemed to accept this.

The older teen looked down, playing with his purple shirt, "alright, I guess. I didn't have the best day at school," he replied quietly. 

"Anything I can help you with?" Adrien offered. 

Luka smiled, "unless you wanna do all my homework for me, or fill out college application forms," he remarked. 

Adrien constantly forgot that Luka was older then him, the man seemed so similar to Adrien. "Where are you looking at going?" which was clearly the wrong question, if Luka's scathing look was anything to go by. It didn't seem to be directed at Adrien, per say, just at the specific  _question_. 

"I'm not, I want to join a band, tour some places, live my own way," he said determinedly. 

Adrien smiled, he'd love to do something like that, to get away from his lineage, escape his family line. Be able to just be  _him_. At least he had Chat Noir, he'd go crazy without at least that escape. "Schools shouldn't push you to go to uni, surely?"

"Yeah, well, mine is. Maybe they didn't get the memo."

Adrien stared at him in surprise, "you're really salty about this," he commented. 

Luka looked away, pretending to look at the screen for a moment, where an add about banks was showing. "School's never been my thing," he explained. 

"I've been homeschooled most of my life, I have nothing to judge it on," Adrien said easily. In truth, being homeschooled made him feel caged in, like he was stuck, trapped, unable to get out. He didn't have friends, he had no way of spreading his wings, he was only capable of doing what he'd been told to do. Going to school, making friends, it was the best part of his life - other than Chat Noir. 

"Can't say I know how that feels either," Luka said, scratching the back of his neck with a small smile. Adrien rolled his eyes at the mild awkwardness between them. 

"Was that the only thing that happened today?" Adrien asked, and from the hesitation in Luka's eyes, it wasn't. He wasn't sure Luka was prepared to tell him though, and he'd have to accept that. 

"I mean, yeah. I guess I'm just petty," he said lightly. 

"I don't think it's petty wanting to live your own life," Adrien said quickly. Luka sent him a warm smile, relaxing down into the seat as the movie began playing. They exchanged a quick smile before turning their attention to the action-packed movie they were about to watch.

Adrien was acutely aware of Luka's arm beside him, Luka's casual position as he watched the film, body shaking as he laughed in the comedic moments. Luka rested his arm on the arm rest between them, relaxed and comfortable in his seat. The warmth radiated through Adrien's own side, feeling exactly where Luka was, his movements, a current between them. 

It was odd for him, his best friend was on his other side and yet, he wasn't paying any attention to what he was doing, side from his constant laughter at the movie. Instead, he knew exactly what Luka was doing, his new friend that he barely knew. 

He realized part way through the film that he had no clue what was happening – in the film and in his life. He hadn't been watching, too concerned with whatever  _Luka_  was doing, and he was too concerned with whatever that  _meant_. 

He pushed his thoughts aside and instead focused on the movie, a rare treat for him realistically. He thought the movie itself was good, it was an action adventure type movie, one of those superhero movies that all seem to be the same – the hero's fight the bad guy, they lose, heroes mope about and then with an inspirational song they somehow manage to get better. Adrien had seen it all before, and yet, he loved the visual effects. It was a truly pleasing film. If he was truly focused on it. 

When the credits started rolling, Luka moved his hand and Adrien felt like he could breathe again. Luka turned to Adrien briefly to smile, before talking to his sister beside him. Adrien shook himself and turned to Nino, who was whispering furiously to Alya and Marinette about something in the movie – one of the actors it seemed. 

Nino lost whatever argument it was, and glared at his girlfriend, where Alya just looked incredibly smug. Nino crossed his arms with a huff and looked to Adrien. "What'd you think?"

"It was good, yeah. Nice to be out of the house with friends," he said, because he hadn't really been paying attention to the film. he wished he was able to say more, it seemed like a well-made film. 

Nino grinned, "we should do this more often. Maybe not with the  _entire_  class." 

"Oi! Never inviting you anywhere now," that was Alex, who had apparently broken away from her argument with Ivan over something obscure.

"Just saying it was hard to co-ordinate," Nino said with a shrug. 

Alex glared at him, but relented, going back to speaking with Ivan over some plot point in the film they were disputing against. Mylene was just sitting there silently, clearly afraid to show her own point of view, for fear of persecution. 

Adrien stood from his seat, stretching his muscles, unaware how tense he'd been holding himself throughout the film. Nino followed suit, pulling Alya with him. Adrien smiled to his friends, before looking down to Luka, who was gathering his own belongings about to stand. 

"What did you think?" Adrien asked the guitarist. 

Luka shrugged, "bit cliché, but enjoyable."

Adrien smiled, following the group out into the lobby where parents would be picking up their kids. Well, Adrien's driver would be picking up Adrien at any rate. The others lived fairly close by to the theatre. Once in the lobby, with the open spaces, Adrien managed to stick by Luka, who was standing awkwardly besides his sister. They smiled, almost hesitantly towards each other. 

"You got much on for the rest of the evening?" Adrien asked, trying to open a conversation window. 

Luka shrugged, "homework, gonna do some practice. I think Jules' is going over with Rose so I can practice as loud as I'd like," he said, gesturing to his sister, who was standing closely with Rose. 

"Within reason?" Adrien said with a smile. 

"I mean, we're not docked anywhere near resident houses, so we're pretty set." 

"Well then, flare those speakers." 

Luka grinned, extending his hand for a fist bump, which Adrien obliged easily. "He speaks my language," he laughed easily, and Adrien found himself laughing in return. 

"I'm learning," Adrien agreed with a smile. 

"Fast learner," Luka commented lightly. 

"I try."

Luka laughed at Adrien's words, his smile brightening his features. Adrien found himself staring a moment too long at his features, at his lips and the way they formed the smile. He felt himself snapping to attention at the thought, the idea that he was staring at his friend's lips. 

He'd only ever stared at Ladybug's lips. 

"You ok?" Luka's voice brought him back into reality, Adrien hadn't realized he'd even zoned out quite as he did. 

Adrien quickly shook himself and nodded, smiling, "course, just thinking about the homework I've gotta do tonight." He lied easily. Lying should never be so easy, but with his upbringing, he'd learned pretty quickly. Especially with Chat Noir in the picture. 

"School sucks," Luka said lightly, but there a note in his voice that didn't quite match, and Adrien stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher the code, to see the message in his bright eyes. Something Luka wanted to tell him, but couldn't, which shouldn't have hurt him as much as it did. Luka was allowed his secrets, he was allowed to withhold information from Adrien. He would be a hypocrite himself, with his own secrets. 

"I don't mind it, means I'm not stuck at home," Adrien said, eyes drifting towards the side. 

Luka's hand found its way to Adrien's shoulder, the blonde looking up in surprise. Luka gave him a short smile, saddened by whatever had happened in his life to make him so closed off. His hand was a comfort, warmth spreading through his skin at the touch. Adrien found himself staring into Luka's warm eyes, sending warmth through his entire body. He caught himself staring at Luka's lips again. 

They were so close, Adrien could feel Luka's breath on his ears.

The moment was broken when Adrien was jolted by Nino, who jerked him away from Luka, a laugh in his voice, a smile on his face, something Alya must have said then. "Dude, Gorilla's been here for like ages," he said, pointing to where his driver was indeed sitting, glaring at nothing in particular. 

Adrien sighed, eyes downcast, preparing himself to go back into his life of solitude. He thanked Nino for the heads up, who just gave him a fist bump and told him to get some sleep for school tomorrow. Adrien told him to do the same, then said farewell to Luka, who was watching him with a confused look on his face. Adrien smiled halfheartedly, waving to Luka, who insisted on a fist bump. 

"I'll text you tonight, make sure you survive the evening," Luka said lightly, tilting his head as he smiled, Adrien's heart fluttering slightly at the movement. 

He made his way towards his car, the Gorilla grumping about something or another, looking back at his friends, all who were waving at him. He sent a wave back, a smile on his face, seeking out Luka immediately. His eyes found Luka's, giving him a big smile but no wave, and he nodded to him. Luka raised his hand momentarily, before simply watching Adrien leave. 

The blonde sighed, resting his head against the window as he watched the buildings of Paris pass by. His eyes saw buildings, yet his mind saw Luka, how it felt to sit next to him, the smile on his lips, his hair, his laugh rang through his ears. 

Adrien missed Luka. 

He missed his warmth, his smile, his laugh, the casual way he touched his shoulder, his comforting presence. 

They'd been friends less than two weeks, he'd just seen Luka that evening. He'd just fare welled him. Not ten minutes ago.  _What did that mean_? 

It wasn't until later in the evening, when his heart felt warm, felt like bursting through his chest when Luka messaged him (something mundane about having a good evening) that he truly realized what all this meant. 

Plagg, who was sleeping on a cushion nearby, jolted awake as Adrien leapt up abruptly, hand on his head in alarm, thoughts only on Luka, eyes wide. The black kwami stared at him in annoyance, then saw the look on Adrien's face and thought better of complaining. 

"I like Luka," Adrien said, voice barely above a whisper. 

The kwami rolled his eyes, as though this was barely cause enough to have him awake. "Well duh, he's your friend." 

Adrien shook his head adamantly. "I like him. I  _like_  him." 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien accepts his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in one day? It's cause I'm not working and haven't posted for two weeks :) also these two just write themselves don't they?

"I don't see the problem," Plagg said lazily. 

"The  _problem_?" Adrien said, throwing his hands up in frustration. "The problem: he's a  _boy_ , I'm a  _boy_. He's not into dudes.  _I'm_  not into dudes." 

Plagg floated over casually and placed a tiny paw on his shoulder, much as Luka had done before. Luka. Adrien felt his heart fumble over his name.  _Get a grip,_ he told himself, not that it was working. 

"So? I'm still not seeing the issue," Plagg said, pausing for a moment and focusing his large eyes onto Adrien's own. "Boys are allowed to like boys, you know. You wouldn't be the first."

"What's the point though? Nothing could ever come of it... he's into girls." 

"You don't know that," Plagg said, as though trying to console a screaming child, his voice changing tones. Adrien felt it was uncalled for, but it was working. Sort of. 

"He flirted with Marinette!" That first time they'd met, Adrien was sure Luka had been flirting with Marinette. An unexpected feeling jolted to the surface, and he had a name for it now: jealousy. He was jealous of Marinette for stealing Luka's affection. 

Plagg rolled his eyes. "So? He could like both. You can't rule out the possibility, Adrien." 

"What would my father think?" His brain was all over the place, saying whatever came to mind. Plagg frowned. 

"You don't have to tell him, he doesn't know about your crush on Ladybug either." Plagg reminded him, not that it would have helped. No, it made it worse. 

"Crush? On Luka?" 

Plagg gave him a flat stare. "Yes, Adrien." 

"I don't have a crush on him," he said, though the words tasted wrong. 

"You like him." 

"Yes, I just said that."

"You want to spend time with him." 

Another nod. 

"You want to kiss him." 

Adrien halted, staring straight at Plagg in surprise. Did he? Did he imagine himself kissing the boy? He'd be lying if he said no – he'd caught himself staring at Luka's lips, he'd caught himself imagining more than just a shoulder touch. He'd seen himself kissing Luka's lips. 

He wanted to kiss Luka. 

Plagg gave Adrien a knowing, triumphant look. Adrien threw his hands up in the air in frustration, glaring at the kwami. "There's nothing wrong with that, Adrien."

"I'm not gay."

"I never said you were," Plagg rolled his eyes dramatically, voice rough, clearly annoyed by the roundabout conversation they were stuck in. "You are allowed to have a crush on a boy, you are allowed to have a crush on a girl." 

Adrien stared at Plagg openly. "When did you become knowledgeable? You only like cheese?" 

Plagg grumbled about for a moment, floating away from Adrien. "You're insufferable when you're confused. I'm speeding the process along."

"Oh."

"Now, are you going to stress more, or can I sleep?" The Kwami asked, clearly annoyed now. Adrien sighed. 

"I guess." 

Plagg nodded and drifted back to his makeshift bed along the window sill. Adrien frowned to himself, leaning in his bed, his hands over his eyes. He had a crush on Luka. A boy. He, a male, had a crush on his friend. A male. That was totally normal. It was normal. 

He didn't realize he was hyperventilating until Plagg was in his face, batting at his nose to get his attention. Plagg glared at Adrien, but concern was clearly written in his green eyes. Adrien stared at the kwami in shock, trying to control his breathing. 

"This is going to be an issue, isn't it?" Plagg said, more to himself, but Adrien caught it. 

"It’s a huge issue!"

"I really don't see how. You like someone, big deal. I like cheese, I cope just fine." 

"It'd be like if you decided you liked cabbage instead of camembert," Adrien said, watching the disgust appear on Plagg's small features.

"Don’t, it's nothing alike. Camembert is life." He paused, "look, Adrien, it is  _fine_  to like either gender, no one will judge you."

"My father will," Adrien pointed out softly.

Plagg shrugged, "your father is a piece of work."

Adrien hated to admit that the kwami was right. "He'd never like me anyway..." 

Plagg held up his hands – paws? "not my area mate."

Adrien cracked a smile, finally his kwami was beginning to show his emotionless side. He was wondering how long he'd have nice Plagg for. "Gee, thanks Plagg."

The kwami merely floated away, back to his bed, leaving Adrien alone once more. The blonde sighed, staring up at his ceiling. It was an odd feeling, having a crush on someone. He'd thought he'd had one on Ladybug, but it didn't explain how it had vanished so quickly when Luka had come into his life. No, his feelings for Ladybug weren't fake – it just wasn't love as he'd previously called it. His love for Ladybug stemmed from the grace and beauty she possessed, his admiration for how strong she was. She was a friend, his partner. That was all they'd ever be.

It didn't matter, he told himself. Luka was his friend – that was all they could ever be. Even if Luka liked guys romantically, there was no chance someone like him would want someone like Adrien. Upsetting as the thoughts were, Adrien knew they were accurate. Luka was too good for him. Ladybug was too good for him. He really needed to develop crushes on people who were more his level. 

Adrien sighed, resigning himself to a fruitless crush. He knew he'd never mean more to Luka then a friend, and he was lucky to call him even that. Luka was different, artistic, free, from a completely different world from Adrien. He liked that, liked that Luka was free, liked that he was different.

It helped that Luka was beautiful. 

Potentially an understatement. 

Beauty aside, Adrien wasn't as superficial as that. The more he thought about Luka, about his  _crush_  on the boy, the more he recognized it wasn't as sudden as this. Sure, he was only realizing it now, but it wasn't like he hadn't known deep down for a little while. The stares, the warmth, the small flutters his heart felt, the jealousy. It all meant that Adrien was just completely oblivious to his own heart. 

* * *

 

Nino immediately noticed something was up with his friend when they got to school the next day. Adrien tried – unsuccessfully - to hide his conflicting emotions, to hide that he felt strange, accepting the knowledge that maybe he wasn't as 'straight' as he'd originally thought. Nino wasn't as oblivious to his own emotions, seeking him out at lunch break. 

"You alright dude?" Nino asked, staring at the blonde curiously. 

Adrien shrugged, "just, thinking," he responded distantly. Thinking, yeah. That's what he'd been doing all morning. About Luka. He just couldn't get the boy out of his mind, it was driving him insane. 

"About Luka?" Nino said slyly, watching Adrien flail about at the statement with an amused twinkle in his eye.

"Huh? What? No," he spat indignantly. 

Nino crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Adrien in disbelief, but also amusement. How was his friend able to do that? "Seriously, dude. I'm not going to judge."

"Oh."

"If anything, I'm going to say: heck yes you go dude!" Nino cheered, quietly because they didn't want to be interrupted. 

Adrien looked away, a frown playing on his lips. "thank, Nino." 

"What's wrong?" His friend asked, settling down.

"I mean, it's not like anything could come of it, right?" He said honestly.

Nino swatted his hand and made a 'pssh' noise. "not with that attitude." 

Adrien smiled at his friend, "how'd this even happen?" 

"Probably the same way I fell for Alya – luck. And he's got an awesome personality, you two get along great. It's really only natural." Nino said, like the apparent expert he was. 

Adrien found himself rolling his eyes. "then why aren't I fawning over you?" 

"Eh, probably because I'm not your type." Nino shrugged. 

"I have a type?" 

"Everyone has a type," his friend said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I must say, I'm surprised yours includes Luka – but you do you buddy." 

Adrien sighed, kicking a rock with his foot. "Yeah, my dad would kill me if he ever found out."

"He's not going to. You're allowed to have secrets." 

"Wise words," Adrien laughed as Nino puffed out his chest proudly. 

"I've been known for that," he said happily.

The two shared a laugh and a change of topic, about some homework they would be expected to do. Adrien allowed himself to just enjoy hanging out with his friend. His eyes wandered, landing on where Juleka and Rose were seated, close together and talking in clearly hushed tones. Their friendship had always seemed strange, with such a bubbly girl with the quiet one, but Adrien wasn't going to judge, they were happy and that was the important thing. 

With about ten minutes left of their lunch break, a loud explosion was heard, and Adrien knew immediately that there was an akuma out there. He sighed, finding a startled expression on Nino's face. 

"Come on, let's get out of here," Adrien said, loudly enough to be heard over the rubble. Nino snapped into action, leaping out of the way, in search of their other class mates. Adrien slipped away, going into a spare room and pulling Plagg from his hiding spot. The kwami was less than impressed, but Adrien ignored him and called for the transformation. 

AdventureTime, for that was the akuma's name, was sending everyone into a fantasy where all they saw were their greatest fantasies. It was actually kind of cool. Chat Noir would have loved it, if he wasn't trying his hardest to defeat the thing. 

Ladybug was already swinging into battle when Chat actually found the akuma, watching people running around, swinging 'swords' (most people were holding pens) and fighting off whatever was in their imagination. Some people even had crowns on their heads, made from paper. Hopefully no one thought they could fly. 

"Chat Noir, the akuma's in his map." Ladybug called, misdirecting another of the akuma's shots. Chat stared at the akuma, with his fedora cap, whip, leather jacket, gun. 

"He's  _Indiana Jones_ , Milady."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "Let's discuss this later, shall we?" 

"Reckon he's into archeology?" Chat Noir continued, bouncing away from more of his attacks.

Ladybug's groan was loud enough for Chat to hear, and it made him laugh. She instead ignored him, calling for her lucky charm. Chat laughed when it a rubber snake landed in her arms. 

"Snakes, why'd it have to be snakes?" Ladybug said to herself, and Chat's face lit up, a grin spreading widely across. 

Ladybug looked around, calling for Chat's belt – what's new? - and running off, throwing the snake at the akuma, who shrieked. Whilst distracted, Chat was able to block the akuma, allowing Ladybug to grab his map, shredding it.

As Ladybug moved to grab the lucky charm snake, Chat Noir blocked her with a smirk. "Asps, very dangerous. You go first."

She rolled her eyes, throwing the charm in the sky, giving him one of her famous smirks, one that would have, in the past, set his heart alight. This was just not one of those times. "Didn't take you for an _Indiana Jones_  fan, Chat." 

"Neither, Milady, you did start us off," he reminded her, making her facepalm. He laughed. 

Ladybug stared at Chat for a moment, "are you alright?" She asked curiously. 

"Should I not be?" He asked. 

"No – just, you seem different. More fight and less play." She said, giving him a sideways glance. Ah, what it would have meant to him for her to notice that about him not a week ago. 

"Got a lot going on," he said, looking away. 

Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes. "I'm here for you if you need to talk," she said, smiling. Her earrings beeped, and Chat smirked. 

"But not right now," he grinned, watching as she flushed and leapt away, clutching her yoyo. 

"Till next time," she said, waving and bouncing away with her yoyo. 

Chat looked around, noticing a small crowd of confused pedestrians, deciding to also split. He found a small confined area near school and turned back, finding Nino, who was talking to Alya and Marinette. They waved him over, a smile on their faces. 

"Hey, what'd you see?" Nino asked as soon as Adrien joined the group. Adrien thought quickly to come up with an excuse. 

"Didn't, actually, was hiding too well." Adrien said easily, feigning ignorance.

Nino laughed, "of course you were. I was a master DJ on the moon," trust, Adrien thought, laughing. 

Alya grinned, "I was a major reporter to the tv." 

"I became a successful designer," Marinette added, a blush on her cheeks. How could Adrien forget that his talented friend wanted to be a designer? She'd entered his father's competitions before, that he knew. She was going to make a big name for herself someday.

School passed quickly from then, and Adrien found himself sitting at home, practicing his piano, staring at Luka's violin. It seemed to be staring him in the face, making him confront his feelings once more. He'd already accepted that he had a crush on his friend, he didn't need to be thinking about the boy constantly. That wasn't necessary. 

Instead of going to bed at his usual time, he found himself on the balcony as Chat Noir, leaping across Paris, keeping his head cool. he ended up at the top of the Eifel tower, easily seeing the sights as he clung to the spire, wrapping his tail around the mast. He could see the channels from there, see where Luka's boat could be moored.  

He shook himself, focusing on the beauty that was the city. He looked up as he heard a clung next to him, seeing a familiar thread of a yoyo bringing the girl in red closer. Ladybug swung up beside Chat, giving him a confused look. 

"What brings you here, Chat?" Ladybug asked, as though she was the one there first. 

Chat stared at her for another moment. "I could ask you the same thing," he said easily.

She laughed, "just needed to run."

"Same," he admitted.

"Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?" she asked, almost hesitant. 

"Nothing's bothering me, per say. I just... you probably wouldn't understand," he said softly.

Ladybug smiled, gently placing her hand on his arm. "try me," she said, clearly egging him on.

"I like someone," she stiffened, immediate reaction, and Chat hurried to shake his head. "not you, I mean, that sounded bad, but you're amazing! You're my friend I swear!" 

She laughed, the sound soft and easygoing. Chat relaxed. "You're my friend too, Chat. You've got a crush?" She hinted. 

"I mean, it's complicated. I don't have a chance, I know, that, but still, I can't change it," he said, looking back out at the lights over the city. 

Ladybug smiled, turning her eyes to the lights also. "I know how you feel," she said softly. 

"You do?" 

She nodded sadly, "he doesn't see me, well, I mean, as anything more than a friend."

Chat Noir looked at her in confusion. "How can anyone not love you?" 

She flushed, a laugh on her lips, "you flatter me, Chat."

"It sucks," he said instead of saying something else, something that could be considered flirting. 

She agreed with a hum. They stared out at the city for a little while in silence, both just basking in the others presence. Chat sighed, looking towards the moors once more.

"Anyone would be a fool not to love you, Chat," Ladybug said quietly.

He sent a sly smirk her way, "are you confessing?"

She batted his arm with a laugh, "not on your life, Chat."

Chat looked at his baton for a moment, sighing. "I'd better head home," he said, looking to Ladybug, who also appeared to be thinking the same thing. They departed the tower easily, eager to get home. Chat found his way to his room, ensuring no one could see him, ducking inside and catching Plagg as the kwami flew out.

Adrien hopped straight into bed, checking his phone before he turned out the lights.

> **Did you get caught with the** **Akuma**

His heart fluttered at the message, and he smiled, welcoming the feeling. Unexpected and new, it meant something to him now. Hope. 

> _Course not, I'm too fast_
> 
> **Just tell yourself that**
> 
> **Good day?**
> 
> _School_
> 
> **I know what you mean**
> 
> _You?_
> 
> **Same**
> 
> **Gonna** **get some shut eye**
> 
> _Good night_

When no immediate response came, Adrien put his phone away with a smile, feeling the warmth in his chest as he rested, thoughts and dreams on Luka. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another band meeting ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guy's comments give me so much happiness you have no idea!! THANK YOU

Adrien's life had a sense of normality for the rest of the school week – akuma's, homework, fencing, piano. He didn't see Luka, but his thoughts were on him whenever they weren't occupied with homework. Nino had organized a band meetup for the Saturday, and Adrien was thrilled to be going, knowing that Luka would be there. But also, to see his friends. 

But mainly Luka.

His father was preoccupied when Adrien went to leave, so he didn't even have to sneak away – Nathalie just opened the door for him, not commenting when he held a violin case in his hands. She had probably known all along, realistically. Adrien was just thankful she never said anything to his father. 

As he walked to Nino's house, the only safe place for the meeting when Gabriel could be told without a lie where he was going, Nino texted him. He wasn't even late this time!

> Nino: Luka's here C:
> 
> Nino: hurry up

Adrien felt his heart stumble at the text but forced himself to continue on at the same pace. Luka would still be there when he got to Nino's. They wouldn't finish the meeting without him. He wasn't even late, he'd left early if anything. Adrien stared at his watch, willing his walk to go faster and time to go slower. Plagg popped out of his pocket, giving him a knowing smirk, and Adrien immediately shoved the kwami back into hiding, a blush on his cheeks. 

He could let Chat Noir get to Nino's in record time, but there was a chance someone could see him, and he wasn't going to risk that today. No, right now he just wanted to hang out with his friends. And Luka. 

It wasn't long before he was knocking on Nino's door, waiting anxiously for someone to open up. He was pleasantly surprised when the door opened and revealed a relaxed looking Luka, smile on his features as he let Adrien inside. 

Adrien told his legs to move, feeling like jelly under the warm smile his friend was giving him. Luka ushered him in from the brisk air outside, shutting the door once he'd made it past the doors range. Adrien could feel his heart hammering in his chest at seeing Luka. This was the first time he'd seen the boy since realizing what his feelings actually meant, and he was so underprepared for it. 

Luka followed him into the main room, where everyone was waiting for the boys by their instruments. Alya and Marinette sat at the front, near Nino's machinery, both laughing at something on Alya's phone. They looked up as Adrien entered and waved, just as everyone else did. 

Rose immediately moved away from Juleka, calling the group together. Adrien saw Mylene pop up from where Ivan was, going to join Marinette and Alya. Luka stood close to Adrien, a hairs breath away, if his heart was to be believed. Close enough that Adrien could feel his warmth, could feel where his hands were. 

"Hope you've all been practicing," Rose started, looking around the room expectantly, with one of her usual smiles on her face. Adrien noticed that he wasn't the only one looking sheepish, Ivan also appeared to have forgotten to practice. Forgotten is such a harsh word in Adrien's case, he would never have gotten away with it. 

Rose laughed cheerfully, disregarding the lack of response and moving on. She was always too full of energy. "well never mind, let's take it from the top," she called, taking her position by the microphone. Adrien noticed that Juleka set up her own space close to Rose, watching her with a small smile on her face. It was nice to see they had such a good friendship. 

Ivan remained at his drumkit, spinning his drumsticks around for a moment, waiting for the beat to start. Adrien moved to where the keyboard was set up, beside Luka's guitar stand. His heart leapt at the positioning. He really needed to keep a hold over his heart, it was going to be the death of him soon. 

Luka moved over to pick up his guitar, staring at where Adrien had put his violin down in surprise. "is that my violin?" 

Adrien nodded, "figured it was probably time I return it," he replied.

Luka smiled, making Adrien's heart do a small flip, fingers tingling with warmth. "I'm probably not going to be able to carry both instruments back home." He said.

"I'll help," the words were out of his mouth before he even thought, and Luka smiled, which was reward enough for his outburst. 

Before they could say anything else, Rose called them to attention, beginning the piece. Adrien relaxed -  as much as he could – and began to play his keyboard, staring adamantly at the black and white keys. He knew if he was to look up, he'd find Luka's eyes, he'd stare at Luka's hands on the guitar, he'd see Luka's lips. He was going to focus on the keyboard if it was the last thing he did. 

It was well into practice, at least their fourth run through of a new song, that Adrien felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. he looked up in surprise, recognizing the tingles. Luka's warm eyes met his, concern radiating through them. 

''Hey, you alright?" He asked.

Adrien nodded shakily, eyes locked onto Luka's. "I'm fine, just tired," which was almost the truth. 

"You don't have to play if you don't want to," because Luka was a perceptive friend who clearly knew that something was up with Adrien. Didn't that just make Adrien's heart feel like it would beat out of his chest?

"Sorry, I'm just distracted," he said honestly, still locked in Luka's captivating eyes. 

Luka nodded, releasing Adrien from his prison, dropping his hand. "everything alright?" And wasn't that concern just enough to set his heart rocketing again? 

"Just – home stuff I guess." He muttered uneasily. 

"Ah, well. You're with your friends now, Adrien. I always find it's easy to forget when I'm in the company of friends." 

"Yeah, thanks, Luka," he said softly, and Luka smiled, the motion bringing a smile on Adrien's own face. He wasn't going to forget, but he could relax. If it meant that much to Luka to relax and enjoy himself, by goodness he was going to. 

Luka slipped back into position as Rose returned to her role as leader, pressing the group to try their new song another time, so they could get it right. Adrien wasn't quite sure where the importance was for it, but he rolled with it, playing the pieces, freeing himself up to the music. 

It was easier to play knowing he was surrounded by people who liked him, people he liked. People who cared for him and wanted to see him happy. It was easy to play with Luka, who's enthusiasm never faltered. 

Nino provided snacks for everyone once practice was over, Adrien happily taking the cookies from the tray. He stood with Nino for a moment, the knowing smirk on Nino's face making him duck his head. His friend only laughed and searched for Alya, finding her still with Marinette giggling over something.

Adrien caught Luka talking to his sister, with Rose latched onto her arm. Luka looked up, catching Adrien's eye, and waved, Adrien awkwardly waving back. 

Nino waved his hand in front of Adrien's face, snapping him out of his daze, Nino smiling widely at his friend, "you back with us?" 

"What? Yes." He responded, like the smart star student that he was. 

His friend laughed, shaking his head, "head in the clouds Adrien."

Adrien wasn't able to come up with a response, as Luka walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder casually, looking at Nino. 

"We should probably go, Adrien. You're on a timeframe," Luka announced. 

Nino had a look of surprise on his face, "you're leaving together?" 

Luka shrugged, shooting a quick glance to Adrien before answering the question. "he's helping me carry my violin home." 

"Why'd you bring your violin?" Was Nino's next question. 

"Left it at Adrien's, he was just returning it." 

Nino gaped at the both of them. He then decided to point accusatorily at Adrien. "He was over at your house? I'm not allowed over!" 

Adrien rolled his eyes. "You're allowed over, Nino, don't be ridiculous. He was just helping me practice last week." 

Nino accepted the response, but he still gave Adrien a suspicious glance. He was freakishly good at analyzing Adrien's behavior, he should have worked out this one pretty quickly. "Well, keep each other safe." 

"I think we'll be fine, Nino," Adrien smiled, giving his friend a fist bump. Nino smiled and looked to Luka warningly. 

"Not a scratch," he said firmly. 

"He wouldn't be safer with Chat Noir," Luka guaranteed, causing Adrien to splutter for a moment. It earned him a strange look from both Nino and Luka, but he just smiled awkwardly and looked away. 

Adrien gathered the violin case, whilst Luka fare welled his sister – that he would be seeing shortly anyway – and said goodbye to his own friends. Luka gathered his own instrument case and headed for the door, giving Adrien a smile as he led the way out the door. 

Luka led the way, given that it was his house and Adrien had no clue where they were moored now. Walking beside Luka was an interesting experience, to say the least. Adrien could feel his own heart stutter every time they would accidently brush too close, feel the heat from his body as his hand rested in his pocket casually. He wanted badly to reach out and hold the hand, his own twitching at the thought. 

"I'd like to play again with you," Adrien said, looking out at the path ahead, watching other pedestrians going about their daily life. Anything to avoid looking at the man beside him. 

Luka smiled, his features lighting up and Adrien couldn't help but stare at him blankly for a moment. "I'd like that too, maybe I can teach you the violin and you could teach piano?" 

"I have a confession - I tried to play your violin," Adrien said, voice lowered, as though he was about to get scolded and was trying to hide the truth. 

Luka laughed, the sound ringing through Adrien's ears. What he wouldn't give to be able to hear that noise constantly! "Tried?" 

"I failed miserably," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm sure you did better than I did when I first picked it up, but I can help you." He said happily, not even trying to embarrass Adrien further, he didn't seem to care. 

Adrien smiled, looking from the violin in his hands to Luka's warm face, "perhaps another secret meetup?" 

"I don’t know if your heart could take the anxiety again," Luka remarked with a teasing tone in his symphonic voice. "We'll have to try when you're at school lunch break or something." 

"Ah, yes. I like that idea better," Adrien agreed, breathing a sigh in relief as he smiled. Luka sent him a knowing smile and touched the tip of his nose. 

"I'm very clever, you know," he commented casually.

"Hmm, I'll debate that," Adrien drawled, making Luka stop dead and stare at him, before bursting out laughing. 

"Oh, cause you're one to talk." 

"I'll have you know I'm a straight A student in physics."

Luka paused, pressing a hand to his chin thoughtfully, a smile on his lips, "yet you know nothing of music. Shame." 

Adrien scoffed, "I know enough to know I don't enjoy it," he muttered angrily. 

"You could learn to enjoy it."

Adrien looked down, turning away from Luka momentarily, "even if I could, my father would never allow it."

"Sooner or later you're going to have to break away from him. He can't control you forever." 

"I wish it were that easy," he muttered, glaring at the footpath. 

Luka decided to change the subject, much to Adrien's joy. He wasn't sure he'd be able to continue talking about his father like that, not when he did hold love for his dad, just, he wished he could understand him. Wished he'd let him just be  _him_. 

"I'm glad I know you, Adrien. You're different." 

Adrien stared at him, mouth slightly open, trying to calm his racing heart. "Ah, I'm glad to know you as well." 

Luka laughed shortly, "I haven't had many friends, and It's nice to have you, someone to share, someone who can understand."

A smile graced Adrien's face, soft and quiet, "you've definitely made an impact in my life, you've only been in it for two weeks," he tried to turn the end into a laugh, but it failed and Luka still seemed lost in his serious world.

"I want to play you a song, when we reach my house." 

Adrien looked in surprise, surely Luka knew he needed to get home quickly? His allowed time was almost up, he'd be rushing to get back as it was. Then again, time with Luka was worth any punishment his dad could throw at him. Provided his father didn't find out who he was with, given that he was already banned from seeing him. 

"I'm not good with words, you see. I talk through my music," Luka explained. Adrien barely had time to process the words before they reached a wharf, a familiar boat coming into view. Adrien climbed aboard carefully, slipping and nearly tripping as the boat rocked unexpectedly. Luka caught him, lifting him by his elbow, gently steadying him. 

Adrien smiled at him, thanking him, then followed Luka to where some chairs were set up. Adrien was unprepared, unsure of what to expect, but he certainly wasn't expecting Luka's music when he finally started up. 

_Happiness_.

That's what the song was about, what it was expressing. Adrien wasn't good with communicating through music, but he could read Luka's fairly confidently. The song was about happiness, the joy he'd felt from the moment Adrien had entered his life. 

When they had their first meeting, when they had their first band meet up, their first text messages – Luka played these awkwardly at first, showing their tentativeness at the start. As the music progressed, Adrien recognized their secret violin meetup and he heard their meetup from today. He could hear everything they'd ever done, and the happiness that it brought Luka. Even when he'd been upset from something else in the day, he'd been happy to talk to Adrien. 

Adrien stared at Luka, who was playing with his eyes closed, just pressing his feelings into the strings. Adrien couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was a song dedicated to him, about him, about everything that made them,  _them_. It left out the hidden stories, the secrets, it left out a lot, but having the joy and happiness expressed so openly was truly magical. 

He knew, then, it wasn't some silly high school crush on this boy. It wasn't an infatuation with a superhero who was way out of his league (not that Luka was in his either). 

Adrien was in love with Luka.

The realization really should have terrified him, but really, listening to the music, it was comforting. He knew nothing would come of it, hopeless romance, but that didn't stop him from hoping. From loving. He'd never loved anyone like this. 

He loved Nino, as a friend. He loved his father, that was family love. He loved Ladybug, she was his friend and trusted partner. He loved Luka as a romantic partner, and that,  _that_ , was new.

Luka finished his piece and opened his eyes, smiling softly as he saw Adrien's awestruck face. "What'd ya think?"

Adrien opened his mouth, then closed it, trying to form some words.

"That good, huh?" Luka asked, but the subtle insecure note in his voice hinted that Adrien should probably answer soon. 

"That was amazing! I don't know how you manage to portray every single detail so perfectly, in music." 

Luka smiled widely, his cheeks lighting to a pink shade, Adrien committing the image to memory. "Thank you, I'm glad you liked it."

"Like it? I loved it! Best concert ever," he said firmly.

"I'll be signing autographs later." 

Adrien laughed, then looked at his watch, gasping at the time. he looked up in panic at Luka, who gave him a confused glance, before realizing the time. "You'd best go! I promised not a scratch, that includes grounding." 

"I'll text you tonight?" Adrien asked, wondering why he was hesitant with his words.

"Duh, I need to make sure I don't have to watch out for Nino tomorrow," Luka teased.

Adrien burst out laughing, turning to leave the boat as he said goodbye to his friend. Friend, Adrien. He's just a friend. He refused to think like that, departing the boat and sprinting over to an alcove. Adrien would never be able to make it home in time, but Chat Noir stood a chance.

He only made it to his room moments before Nathalie opened his door, a frown on her face, Adrien immediately knowing something was up. When she said the words: "your father wishes to speak with you," Adrien knew he was a goner.

Swallowing down his nerves, he knocked on his father's door, waiting for permission to enter. Hearing the words, he headed in, head lowered meekly as he stood before his angered father. 

"I told you that boy was bad news. You've disobeyed me one too many times, Adrien." Were the first words that came out of his father's mouth. Adrien swallowed nervously. "I was told you were seeing Nino today, which was a stretch but I allowed it. Instead I hear you've been walking around Paris with that  _guitarist_ , holding a  _violin_ of all things." 

How'd he even knows about that? Was someone following him? Did his father hire someone to watch over him? Or were the public really that aware of his every movement?

"He's a good person, father," Adrien insisted, but the words fell on deaf ears.

"That  _boy_ ," he spat the word harshly, Adrien hadn't seen his father so cross in a very long time, "is a terrible influence for you, Adrien. You have disobeyed me, I told you there would be consequences and there are." 

Adrien winced at the words, knowing he deserved it for disobeying his father's wishes, but it was Luka they were talking about. He wasn't going to let this one goes without a fight. "He's my friend, father, aren't I allowed friends?"

"I've already told you, Adrien: Agreste's are soloists." He frowned, and if that wasn't the scariest thing since Adrien's first akuma, he wasn't sure what was. "this is not up for debate, I am your father. I don't want you hanging around such a terrible influence."

"What about for study?" 

The glare was sharp, leaving no room for argument, shutting Adrien up instantly. "boy like that, wouldn't do you any help." When Adrien was about to argue, Gabriel cut him off, "I'm revoking your weekend social hours, Adrien. I've half a mind to take your phone and your school privileges." 

Adrien knew he wasn't going to win this. There was no chance. So he hung his head, "yes, sir," and turned to leave. 

"You'll see, Adrien. This is for your own good," were the words that followed him out of the room. 

Once back in the safety of his own room, he growled, throwing his hands up angrily and pressing his head against the door in frustration. Plagg floated up beside him, placing a hand on his cheek. The gesture was comforting, but it wasn't what he needed right then. He wanted Luka, but that seemed unlikely now. He was just lucky he still had his phone. 

> _Got home safe c:_
> 
> **Anything happen?**

Adrien had become used to the instant responses, glad for it, because he wasn't sure he could handle waiting. 

> _Apparently,_ _you're a bad influence_
> 
> **Well, can't argue there.** **I** **just like to have fun**
> 
> _We're Agreste's, we're not allowed to have 'fun'_
> 
> _What is fun?_
> 
> **HAHA**
> 
> **I'm breaking you out of jail though**
> 
> _He'll kill us both if he catches you_
> 
> _I'll find a way_
> 
> **I'll take your word for it**
> 
> _I've_ _gotta_ _go – homework calls_
> 
> **Ah, the joys of the homework bells.**
> 
> _Shush._ _Surely,_ _you've got some too?_
> 
> **Oh yeah, definitely.**
> 
> **Am I going to do it? Probably not**
> 
> _And I wonder why my father called you a bad influence_
> 
> **Oi**
> 
> **I** **heard that**
> 
> _?_
> 
> _It’s a text_
> 
> **Oh** **haha** **ok**
> 
> **Have fun Adrien**
> 
> _Loads_

He put his phone away quickly, before he could get another text from his friend, quickly gathering his books for his homework. The day hadn't quite ended as he'd wanted to, but it was definitely worthwhile. He'd had fun. He hung out with his friends, he'd seen Luka, and if that didn't make the highlight of his day, he wasn't sure what would. He'd just have to be a bit more careful about where they actually met up, if they were able to. If Luka still wanted to. Which he had to, because he'd had a song written about happiness, so clearly, that meant something to him. Even if it was just friendship, Adrien would rather a little of Luka then none, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat upsets himself. Smart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a bit of a strange chapter, I'm not terribly happy with it, but Adrien is just that dense. Don't worry, I'm going to put him out of his misery soon :)
> 
> ALSO   
> A HUGE thank you to everyone who's commenting. You guys literally are the reason I'm actually motivated to write (hey I work too ya know) :) My writing style has always annoyed me, but so many of you guys have said that my writing style is ace - you know who you are ;) so yay!! confidence boost, feed my ego, who needs a small one anyway?

Being under house arrest wasn't uncommon for the young blonde, given how he'd been raised. Yet, now, knowing what he was missing out on, it seemed like a cruel and unjust punishment. He couldn't have been more excited to get to school on the Monday, glad to get away from his home, the suffocating atmosphere he was forced to live with. 

He wasn't even upset when Chloe walked into the room that morning, glad to see even her. It passed quickly when she snapped something to Rose about her bouncing energy putting a damper on her day. Adrien glanced over to Rose, who was just smiling, sitting closely to Juleka, who was glaring at the mayor's daughter.

Adrien sat beside Nino, who shared a sympathetic look with him, but Adrien merely shrugged it off. He didn't need sympathy; his father was just irrational sometimes. He needed his father's understanding before anything. 

"Sorry about Saturday," Nino said. He knew that his father had grounded him, had threatened to take away his phone, because he'd been walking around Paris with Luka. Nino blamed himself, but in reality, it was whoever had taken the photo – once again – and had nothing to do with Nino at all. 

"It's fine, don't worry. The band'll just have to make do without me." 

"I'll talk to them,  _we'll_  talk to them. They'll understand, we'll work something out. The band isn't the same without you, Adrien," Nino said, giving Adrien one of his famous  _you can't argue with me_  looks. Boy, did they work too. Better than his father, if he did say so himself.

"What's the problem?" That was Alya's voice, jumping into the conversation as she settled into her seat.

"Adrien's been grounded," Nino explained, leaving out the details, to Adrien's relief.

Alya frowned, "what are you going to do?"

"We could do meetups at your house," Marinette suggested, her face flushing as she spoke to the blonde. 

Adrien shook his head, "he'd never allow that many people over at once, especially not with instruments. ' _Agreste's are soloists_ ' and all that," he tried to keep the sadness out of his tone, but he failed miserably, judging by the expressions on both girls.

"We could do it in lunch breaks instead? Your father would never have to know," Alya suggested. 

Adrien smiled, his friends were trying so hard to get him to stay in the band, that meant a lot to him. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try," he agreed.

"That's the spirit," Nino cheered, giving his shoulder a fist bump. Adrien grinned to himself, seeing the teacher walk into the room and begin the class. 

They made it through the day without many dramas – besides the usual Chloe being Chloe and setting off all their classmates – so it came as a surprise when Alya exclaimed excitedly that there was an akuma down by the Seine. Adrien felt his stomach flip momentarily – Luka's boat was moored along the Seine. 

Adrien slipped away from his friends, calling out to Plagg, who gave him a knowing look, clearly knowing exactly who lived out by the Seine. Adrien gave Plagg a glare, "now's not the time Plagg," he said, when the Kwami maintained his stare.

Chat Noir leapt towards the Seine, finding Ladybug arriving at the same time as him. She looked around, surveying the area, and Chat was surprised to find yet another pirate themed akuma. Did Hawkmoth have no creativity here? 

Unfortunately for the superhero team, SilverSword was not like Hardrock. He was ruthless, his sword like a whip and lashing out at everything. Whatever he touched was sliced in half. He thankfully didn't have a ship with which to command attacks, he instead used his sword. 

Chat leapt right into the fray, distracting the akuma from Ladybug's plan. He had never been so glad to have learnt fencing as when he was fighting akumas, it was a blessing in disguise. He would never thank his father for It, of course.

With a strong stroke, Chat was sent flying, landing harshly on the streets beside the river, underneath a building. It was obvious that citizens were hiding inside the building from the akuma, when Chat saw many huddled people inside. He stood as quickly as he could to prevent SilverSword from getting to the people, leaping away.

Ladybug called for her lucky charm as Chat recognized a familiar boat coming into view, the akuma dragging them down the Seine. He felt his blood run dry, seeing the familiar brown and blue mop of hair he'd come to love. Seriously, Chat? His  _hair_?

SilverSword didn't have a care as he leapt onto the  _Liberty_  and stood atop the mast, looking down onto the deck below. Chat leapt forwards, knocking both of them into the Seine instead, protecting Luka, who was crouched on the boat behind the wheel. Entire below deck areas and he decided to stay at the wheel?

Chat Noir shivered as he was plunged into the dark waters of the Seine, floundering about for a moment before realizing that he may have been a cat, but he was still a swimmer. SilverSword wasn't having the same luck, which Ladybug used to her advantage, hauling him out of the water at the same time as taking the akuma away. 

Ladybug helped the victim, and Chat was left to struggle up the banks of the Seine on his own, shivering in his suit. Why did Plagg decide on  _leather_? It was so impractical for situations like this. Impractical for everything, really. 

A hand appeared in front of him and Chat looked up, surprised when he met Luka's warm eyes. The sight alone stopped his shivering, warming him instantly. He wasn't given time to dwell on the sensations, as Luka gripped a gloved hand and hauled him up onto the banks. 

"Thank you, cats don't like water," Chat said, standing up shakily, the crash in the water having tossed him around a bit. 

Luka smiled, "it's the least I could do, you're constantly saving everyone else. Figured it was my turn to repay you," he said easily. 

Chat smiled, bowing graciously. "It's my pleasure to serve the common people."

"You look like a drowned rat," Luka sniffled a laugh, his eyes shining, Chat's heart fluttering pleasantly in his chest. At least he was warm, right?

"Don't insult me so, I'd never lower myself into rat territory." 

"I'm sure, oh powerful Chat Noir. who looks like he's been swimming in trash," Luka grinned. 

Chat grumbled, "it's the height of fashion," he glared at the river, as though it would suddenly disappear. or wishing that it would just swallow him up once more.

"Chat!" A new voice joined, Chat turning to see Ladybug with her hand in the air, trying to get his attention. She saw Luka, then wandered over, smiling to both of them. "You good, Chat?" 

"Never better, my lady," he said, giving her a cheerful smile. She gave him a sideways glance, taking in the water and his cold appearance. 

"You'd best get home soon, Chat, warm up. Wouldn't want the cat getting a cold." 

Chat shrugged, "not likely, bugaboo." She groaned at the nickname, Chat laughing at her reaction. He used to say it to flirt with her, but now, he just said it to annoy her. Because they were friends, and he was beginning to realize that was all they ever were. Ever could be, what with Chat's apparent feelings for Luka.

Luka snorted, clearly enjoying the nickname, "man, you really like your nicknames, don't you, Chat?" 

"There's nothing wrong with that," he muttered in indignation. 

Ladybug smiled, offering her usual fist bump. "I gotta split, transformations almost up. Till next time?" 

"Till next time, Milady." Chat smiled, waving as she leapt away and gave Luka a nod. 

"She's quite something," Luka said, almost too quiet for Chat to hear correctly. Chat's heart leapt at the breathless note, the obvious admiration in his voice. Did Luka have a crush on Ladybug? It wasn't only jealousy he was feeling this time, also wounded. He couldn't quite work that second feeling out though, so he decided he'd leave it. 

"You  _like_  Ladybug," Chat said, trying to keep the raging jealousy out of his voice. Luka didn't know Chat, didn't know that Chat was Adrien, who he  _did_  know. 

Luka coughed, turning a shade of red that Chat would have to commit to memory, for his ears and neck also turned beetroot red. It was almost comical. "I do  _not_ ," he exclaimed.

Chat pointed a gloved finger at Luka's red face teasingly, "you so do," he taunted. 

"For your information, I have my eye on someone else," Luka said, not realizing the words until after he'd said them, if the look on his face was anything to go by. 

Chat felt like he'd been sucker punched in the gut, it was worse than being thrown into the Seine by a crazed sword wielding akuma. Pushing his own feelings down, he placed a grin on his face, "oh yeah, do I know her?"

Luka awkwardly scratched the back of his head, turning his eyes onto the river instead. "I – I wouldn't think so," he mumbled. 

"So you're a prince with secrets?" Chat commented.

"Like you're one to talk, Chat Noir. Does Ladybug even realize you're infatuated with her?" 

"I think you mean in _cat_ uated." 

Luka face palmed, a grin spreading across his lips, Chat smiling at the motion. He gave an expectant look to the black cat, who remembered what the point of the question was. 

"I mean, no? She's in love with someone else, and so am I," yeah sure Chat, just let everyone know why don't you. At least it was easier this way, he was admitting his feelings to Luka – yet he would never have to know what he was actually doing. 

Luka sighed, "hope you're doing better than me."

"What makes you say that?" 

Luka frowned in frustration. "I don't have a chance in a million years, Chat. Not a chance..." Chat felt his heart splinter at the dejected tone in his voice. How hopeless he sounded. This was not the Luka he knew, not the Luka he  _loved_. he was almost glad Luka didn't talk about his love life to Adrien, for two reasons: 1) he was so upset and clearly not himself. 2) he could feel his own heart breaking at the thought of having to support Luka with another person. 

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't either," Chat said hesitantly.

Luka scoffed, "how is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Yeah, it sounded better in my head," Chat agreed, making Luka crack a smile. "We can be miserable together though?" 

"Sounds like a plan," Luka smiled softly, before looking around, as though finally realizing the situation they were in. "Shouldn't you be transforming back soon?"

Chat shrugged, "I didn't use cataclysm. I've got plenty of time. But I should be heading home, otherwise I'll be in a spot of bother." 

"It was nice to talk to you, Chat. You're probably used to talking to people, being famous and all," Luka said awkwardly.

"I mean, not usually. Just my special Prince," Chat beamed, watching some color return to Luka's cheeks, before bounding away, not wanting to overdo his welcome – or hear Luka's response to him calling him a prince. Twice. 

Adrien smacked his head against his bathroom door as soon as he was home, grumbling unintelligible words. 

"You look like someone who just found out their cheese was out of stock," Plagg's annoyingly chirpy voice wafted closer, as the kwami rested on Adrien's shoulder. 

Adrien turned a glare onto the kwami, not removing his head from it's resting place on the door, "he likes someone else, Plagg." 

"You don't  _actually_  know that," Plagg said helpfully. 

"He literally just admitted it." 

"So?" 

" _So,_ he likes someone. A girl, Plagg." He twisted his head roughly against the door, glaring at the painted structure. "Probably Marinette, she seems like his type." 

"Ok, now you're just being silly," the kwami said with a roll of his eyes, but Adrien just ignored him. 

"She's beautiful, talented, a total sweetheart. And she's strong, she's practically perfect." Adrien grumbled, he loved his friend dearly, but he couldn't help but resent the thought of her with Luka. That might be too much for his heart to bare, he would probably become an akuma. Ok, stretch too far, he wasn't that dramatic. He did want his friends to be happy though...

Plagg scoffed, "she'd love to hear you say  _that_ ," he muttered.

"What?" 

"Nothing, nothing." 

Adrien sighed dramatically. He wasn't ever going to be able to change how he felt about Luka – that he knew – and it was killing him to think of Luka with anyone but him, but the reality was, why would Luka even  _want_  him? The same thing he'd been telling himself over and over, and now, he had someone who he could compare himself against: Marinette. If she was in fact his crush. Which she probably was. Why else would he insist on band practice? Perhaps Marinette also liked him in return, given that she was always there also? 

He shook himself, ridding his head of the dark cloud of emotions, instead collapsing onto his bed, preparing himself to do his large pile of homework. First, he wanted to check his phone. Habit. 

> **I just rescued Paris's famous black cat from drowning in the river**
> 
> _No way!_
> 
> **He looked like a drowned rat**
> 
> _I'm sure he loved you saying that_
> 
> **Yeah, not really**

Adrien smiled, despite all the sadness he felt towards whoever held Luka's heart, he still could be friends. It may mean he wouldn't get to hold Luka the way he wanted to, or kiss him, love him openly, but it was enough for Luka to be in his life, and Adrien would accept that. 

> **He has a thing for calling me a prince**
> 
> _Is there something you're not telling me?_
> 
> _Are you_ _secretly_ _a prince and he_ _knows_ _?_
> 
> **You're funny Adrien.**
> 
> **Definitely not a prince**
> 
> _I think if Chat Noir of all people believes you to be a prince, he might be onto something_
> 
> **Yeah, but he's just a batty street cat.**
> 
> _Oi, offensive. I'm the Bat here, remember?_
> 
> **Deepest apologies for offending you, oh blind one**
> 
> _At least I can fly. What can you do?_
> 
> **Mystic powers of putting holes in food bags**
> 
> _Terrifying_
> 
> **Next time you see a hole in your lunch box, you'll know what happened**
> 
> _I'm sure_
> 
> _Reassuring_
> 
> **Gotta** **go, Jules and Rose want me to look over their work**
> 
> _Tell them I say hi_
> 
> **I'm sure they'll be pleased**
> 
> **Have a good evening, Adrien**
> 
> _You, too._

Adrien put away his phone carefully, trying not to let his heart fall away from his chest. No, he might never be able to have the romantic relationship he so desired, but he had a friendship that meant so much to him. He had a quirky friend who understood his own quirks, who himself was quirky, and they had fun together. If that meant Adrien had to suffer through Luka gaining a girlfriend, he would, because a little bit of Luka was enough. It wasn't, not really, but he would be fine, he would. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luka's past

> **Can we talk?**

Luka hadn't talked to him over the weekend – he'd been busy with his family, was what he'd said. Adrien hadn't believed him, but he wasn't going to argue. He lied to Nino sometimes too, but that was mainly for Chat Noir's purposes. He doubted Luka had the same secret. 

So when, on Monday morning, that text was what he woke up to, well. Didn't that just make his heart stop?

Instead of thinking too hard about a response, because man he could spiral deep if he did, he sent back a quick message, hoping it didn't sound too eager, or too concerned. 

> _Yep – lunch today?_

Adrien had become so used to Luka's immediate responses that he didn't realize the phone in his hand hadn't displayed a new message until after it had turned off after two minutes. He stared at it in surprise, concern pulsing through his body. 

He was busy, he didn't need to have his phone on him constantly. He wasn't always going to be able to respond to him. Adrien tried to console himself, but the rising panic was starting to erupt. 

> **Sounds perfect. I'll show you a cute café**

That put a stop to Adrien's panic easily, replacing it with warmth. He still felt concern, a weekend without contact with a stupid excuse? That was enough to set off anyone. He hoped that Luka would have a good explanation for him, which he trusted he would. 

He pushed his feelings aside, preparing himself for the long day ahead. It would feel long, surely, when he was waiting to see Luka midway through. 

True to his thoughts, his first few classes passed by super slowly. He caught himself staring at the clock, before Nino would nudge him, give him a confused glance, and he'd return to paying attention to distract himself. 

At least something of mild interest happened during their last class before lunch. Chloe, as always, called out Rose on being overly bubbly. It didn't just stop there, much to the chagrin of everyone in the class. No, this time, she called Juleka out too. Adrien didn't know why, but that made him inexplicably cross. 

"What? Gonna go and cry to Juleka now? Get her to tell you she loves you  _just the way you are_?" Chloe's words were harsh, even for her. Judging by the upset look on Rose's face, and the anger in Juleka's eyes, this was a step to far. 

Surprisingly, it wasn't Juleka or Rose who spoke up. It was Adrien. "Leave them alone, Chloe."

Everyone seemed surprised by his outburst, they were used to his friends speaking out against Chloe, but it wasn't Adrien himself. "It's wrong, Adrien," she pouted, as though the look was going to save her. 

Adrien's eyes caught Rose's frown, but also the soft way Juleka placed her hand on Rose's own. Perhaps he'd been reading them slightly wrong, perhaps they weren't just friends. Something for later, right now, Chloe was being rude. "There's nothing wrong with what they have, Chloe. What's  _wrong_ , is your behavior."

"Woo, Adrien!" Nino cheered, setting off the rest of the class. Rose sent a short smile to Adrien, whilst Juleka merely stared at him, making him shuffle nervously on his feet. Her eyes, it was as though she could read him, read  _everything_  about him. What would she think about his crush on her brother?

Chloe glared at the class, before conceding and placing herself beside Sabrina, literally the only girl who could tolerate Chloe's behavior. For some reason, Sabrina genuinely liked Chloe, and Adrien figured there must be a reason why – something Sabrina saw in the blonde girl that no one else did.

The teacher strolled in then, putting the brakes on the conversations. Adrien could still feel Juleka's eyes on his back, sneaking a glance back to confirm it, he saw that Rose was right up against Juleka's side, shoulders touching, her head tilted so it was almost resting on her shoulder. How could he have missed  _that_? They weren't even subtle about it! He was also able to confirm that yes, whilst Juleka had a hand on her work, the other below the desk – probably touching the hand Rose also had under the desk – she was watching Adrien, a concentrating look on her face. 

Adrien managed to make it through the class, leaving as quickly as he could, knowing Juleka was trying to get his attention, that she wanted to talk to him. He didn't want to have  _that_  conversation with Luka's  _sister_. He first needed to tell Luka, which, admittedly, was never going to happen. 

Instead, he headed to the front of the school, heart stopping when he saw who was waiting for him. He'd known, realistically, that Luka would be coming to see him today. That didn't mean his heart wasn't a complete mess because of it. Seriously, he goes a couple days without contact and he can't control his own heart. 

You know what they say:  _absence makes the heart grow fonder_.

"Hey," was Luka's greeting, as he began to fall into step beside Adrien, leading them towards the café. Adrien hoped to any deity that might be listening that no one would take a photo of him today, he really,  _really_ , didn't need that in his life. 

"Is everything alright?" Adrien asked, concern lacing his voice. 

Luka shrugged, gesturing for Adrien to enter the coffee shop. It was small, cute – as he'd promised – and warm. Friendly. This felt like a date. He really wished it could be, but he knew it wasn't. 

"This is nice," Adrien said instead, as they sat at a table with a hot chocolate each. 

Luka smiled, "I thought you might like it." 

They sat in peaceful silence for a moment, Luka watching Adrien, Adrien watching Luka, until finally, Luka sighed, placing his cup down. "I wanted to tell you something, but I want you to keep an open mind, please?" His voice, it was so vulnerable. Adrien wasn't used to hearing it from Luka. 

"Yeah, of course," Adrien guaranteed, placing his mug down also, preparing himself emotionally for whatever was going to come out of Luka's mouth. 

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Adrien. And I feel, if we're going to keep being friends, which I'd  _really_  like, you should probably know." He paused, taking a deep breath, Adrien sending a small smile to reassure him. "At my first school, I was bullied a lot because of something I can't change. It's not much better at my new school, I still don't have a lot of friends, but at least I've got some right?" 

Adrien knew all this, this wasn't news. Was he about to tell him why he was bullied? Scenarios raced through his head, but he can't say he was prepared for Luka's explanation. 

"I'm gay." 

The words were blunt, straight to the point, and yet, Adrien took a moment to process them. He stared at Luka in surprise, when really, it shouldn't have been a shock. It really shouldn't. He should have been able to call it, like he should have called Juleka and Rose's relationship. He really was slow on the uptake. No wonder he didn't know who Ladybug's identity was. 

"You were bullied because of that?" Adrien chose to ask instead. He was trying to pretend that his heart didn't absolutely  _love_ the news. Because it meant that his chance of getting together with Luka was just that slight bit higher than it was in the morning. Because it meant that Luka was comfortable around him, comfortable enough to share such an enormous part of his life. 

"I mean, some people are scared, it's strange, you know?" 

Adrien cocked his head. "I don't think so. I think you're amazing, just the way you are." 

Luka's face lit up with a smile, wide enough it reached the eyes. Adrien couldn't help but return the smile, it was infectious. "I think you're pretty awesome, too, Adrien." 

The warmth spreading across Adrien's face was a pretty telltale sign that the boy was blushing, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to care. This was what happiness felt like, and he was going to grasp it. 

"You took that oddly well," Luka commented, taking a sip of his drink.

Adrien cocked his head to the side, "should I have taken it any other way?" Before Luka could get another word in, Adrien was expanding, "it doesn't change who you are, Luka. You're you, whether you like girls or boys. I'm sorry for you, if you truly believe that everyone would hate you, or change their opinion of you because of that one fact. But, you are still  _you,_  music loving, quirky guy with dip dyed blue hair who lives on a boat and cares for his sister immensely."

Luka sniffed, and Adrien was sure he saw his eyes water, just a fraction, "wow, I don't know what to say." 

"You don't actually have to say anything. Just accept that I'm still here for you, I'm not going anywhere." Not unless Luka pushed him away or got himself a boyfriend who wasn't him. Because that would be the straw the broke the camel's back, wouldn't it?

Luka's smile was small, but still took the breath from Adrien's lungs. If there was ever a moment he wanted to capture Luka's smile with his lips, it was then. He held him back – just – with the knowledge that Luka only saw him as a friend. Just because he was gay, that didn't mean he was automatically into every single guy. Didn't mean he'd be into Adrien. 

"Man, I really wish you could come to school with me," Luka said with a short breath. 

Adrien shrugged, "I mean, you'd probably get sick of me if you saw me daily," he tried to keep his words light, but he felt the truth of his words deep down, trying to push them away. He'd never had friends before he'd met Nino, he was still waiting for his friend to decide he'd gotten a better offer. 

"Not likely," Luka huffed. 

"Thank you, for telling me. I'm not used to having friends, especially not close friends." Adrien said softly. 

Luka smiled, "I couldn't keep hiding who I was, Adrien. Not around you." 

Adrien's heart skipped a beat, Luka was really going to cause him an early death – or at the very least have to pay for his hospital bills. "How long have you known?"

Luka shrugged, "guess since my first year of high school. I didn't actually  _tell_  anyone, because,  _hello_ , social suicide. But students are pretty good at figuring stuff like that out." 

Adrien looked down, wishing more than anything that he was able to comfort his friend with more than words. He wanted to hug him, but he wasn't sure Luka would appreciate it. "they're all just idiots."

"It's nice to hear someone say  _that_ ," Luka breathed out a laugh, a smile on his face.

"It's true though. What were they afraid of?" 

Luka gave a casual shrug, taking a sip from his drink, "that I'd hit on them, probably."

"Mm, because obviously all gay people are  _instantly_  attracted to every single male in the room. Yeah, that's how logic works." Adrien remarked, earning a brisk, surprised laugh from Luka. 

"I don't have any standards, you're right." Luka agreed, not noticing the slight wince on Adrien's face, before he was able to cover it up quickly. 

"Living the musician lifestyle, are you, Mousart?"

Luka grinned, "living it up." 

Adrien smiled, watching Luka for a moment, finishing his drink relishing in the comforting silence. "I wish my father could understand me." 

Luka looked down, fingers drumming nervously on the table, "one day, he'll get it. You're your own person, Adrien. He can't keep you in a cage forever." 

"Yeah, I guess."

"It sucks, but it will pass. You aren't alone, either, Adrien." 

"You'd think I'd be used to that, wouldn't you?" Adrien tried to laugh, but it just sounded like a puff of sad air. 

Luka had a saddened smile on his lips. It didn't belong there, "no one should be used to being alone,  _that_  I can tell you from experience." 

"We're a couple of misfits," Adrien remarked, placing a smile on his face.

Luka huffed out a laugh, "I guess you can call us that," he agreed.

Adrien sighed as he looked down at the time, realizing it was time for them to head back to school. He stood, giving Luka a smile, unprepared for the hug that Luka gave him, wrapping his arms around his neck, Adrien taking a moment before also wrapping his arms around Luka's back, trying to keep them in an appropriate place - because he was totally unprepared for how  _amazing_ being in Luka's arms was. 

All too quickly, Luka pulled away, leaving Adrien feeling cold at the loss of such a warm body. "I'll talk to you, later, Adrien?"

"You bet," Adrien agreed, walking out of the shop, not missing the relieved look in Luka's eyes. He knew immediately what the relief was for, of course. "Hey, I meant what I said, you know. You don't  _freak me out_ , ok? You never will, well maybe if you become a vampire, or if you tell me you're a superhero – no, Mousart doesn't count." He said at Luka's prepared face. They both laughed, and Luka finally relaxed. 

"Guess I can tell Juleka she doesn't have to chase you down now," Luka said lightly, as though he had actually been planning on setting her onto him. Adrien frowned, because it meant that Luka didn't have enough trust in him about his reaction. That was enough to freeze his heart.

"I doubt she'd be able to catch me. Rose, on the other hand, she might." 

Luka grinned, "oh, I'd be scared of Rose." 

"Yeah? What'd she do?" Adrien teased. 

"Let's just say, she didn't take too kindly to my insulting my own sister at the table once." 

Adrien burst out laughing, "wow, she must really love Juleka to go up against you."

Luka paused, staring at Adrien in confusion, "they told you?"

Adrien rolled his eyes, "honestly, I'm surprised it took as long as it did, but they're not exactly subtle."

"No, they're absolutely beautiful together," Luka agreed, a hint of jealousy in his tone. 

Adrien, though it pained him to say, said, "you'll find someone, Luka." 

"I already have," Luka mumbled quietly, and from the surprise in his eyes, he hadn't meant to say that at  _all._

Instead of letting the jealousy, the hurt, the negative feelings in general push through, Adrien wore a grin, hiding his feelings once more. He'd become pretty good at that. "Oh? Do tell?"

Luka scratched the back of his neck, "I've got to get back to school," was all he said. 

Adrien tried to grin, but he knew it didn't quite reach his eyes, "afraid I'm too good a wingman for you?"

"Yeah, something like that," Luka agreed. 

They gave each other an awkward smile, before Luka darted off, preventing him from saying anything else. Adrien sighed, walking back to school by himself. He wasn't surprised when he found Nino and Alya together, but Marinette was nowhere to be found. 

"You look like someone just stole your favorite socks," Alya commented.

Nino gave Adrien a sharp, calculating look, "you good, mate?" 

"I'm good." He affirmed, giving his friends a smile. 

"Good, because Marinette said she'd bring us cookies," Alya said, watching excitedly in the distance. Adrien turned and saw Marinette walking towards them, a tray of cookies in her arms. Adrien regretted the small bout of dislike for the girl, when he'd thought Luka had a crush on her. He knew otherwise, now, and he regretted feeling anything negative towards one of the sweetest girls. 

Pushing back his thoughts, he was able to join in with his friends, enjoy their company. He'd gone so many years without friendship, he was going to enjoy every second of it he could get. 

* * *

 

He needed to get out of there. He couldn't take another  _silent_  night, his father not showing up for their dinner. Instead, he called for Plagg and raced across the rooftops of Paris, not stopping until he was once again at the spire of the Eifel tower. He breathed deeply, savoring the smell of freedom on his tongue. 

Chat sighed, looking up to the sky, watching clouds bloke out the stars. He'd always hated that he couldn't get a great view of the skies, what with all the city lights blocking out the sights. He wanted to just be able to look up and see the night sky for all it was. The expanse of space, the freedom, how everything had a place. Everything his life wasn't, unless it was covered with clouds.

He rested his head against the metal structure, closing his eyes for a moment, letting the sounds of Paris wash over him, the cars on the roads, the people at restaurants, loud music from pubs – it was a Monday, who had time for that? 

Chat opened his eyes, admiring the lights on the powerful structure beneath his feet, before climbing down and walking across the rooftops towards his own house. He hadn't even realized he'd been heading towards Marinette's own house, until he was standing on her roof, staring down at the girl who appeared to be moping, staring down over her balcony. 

He jumped down and landed quietly beside Marinette, making her jump, before she relaxed as she realized who it was. 

"Chat, what are you doing here?" She asked in surprise, but also confusion. 

He shrugged, running a gloved hand over her railing, "probably the same thing as you."

"Unlikely," she scoffed, looking down onto the streets, avoiding Chat's wide green eyes. 

"Want to talk about it?" He asked gently. 

She sighed, "I mean, you probably wouldn't get it anyway." 

"You doubt me, Princess?" He pressed a hand against his chest and feigned a hurt expression. 

A smile flitted across her face for a moment, "not at all Chat. Ladybug trusts you." 

"I'm very trustworthy," Chat agreed.

"So, there's this guy, right? He's handsome, perfect, friendly, he's basically perfect," she began, Chat already knowing where this was heading, couldn't do a thing to stop it. Marinette was his friend, she needed someone to talk to. 

"He's my friend, and he's  _totally_  oblivious, because I am  _not_  subtle about my crush on him," she said, turning her head to smile at Chat for a moment, "but I think he likes someone else." 

Chat frowned, "you don't know that, Marinette." 

She smiled sadly, turning her large eyes onto Chat, "I do know. I thought I'd be more upset, honestly, but I realized: he's still my friend and he  _does_  love me, in his own way." 

"Just not enough?" 

"Just not enough," Marinette agreed. 

Chat sighed, "for what it's worth, you're amazing." 

She flushed, "thank you, Chat. Shouldn't you be telling that to Ladybug?" 

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

Marinette sighed, looking down at her fingers on the railing for a moment, "I used to think that I'd be devastated, if he ever got with someone else," Chat knew  _that_ feeling well. "but now? I just want him to be happy. He  _deserves_  to be happy. And if that happiness comes from someone else, well, I'm not going to stop him. I'd never be happy knowing I took away his chance of happiness." 

Chat stared at her blankly, "that was poetry." 

Her cheeks turned red once again, and Chat smiled. She truly was beautiful. Perhaps, if he wasn't completely infatuated with Luka, he'd have feelings for Marinette. Or perhaps he'd just continue his pointless feelings for Ladybug. 

"I guess it helps that I can see that the person he likes, likes him back. Whenever they're together, I can see how happy they make each other, and I could never break that apart. I'd never take it away from either of them," she said softly, but powerfully. 

Chat felt a warm feeling rush over him, how strongly this girl felt, how positive she was, how  _strong_  she was. He couldn't imagine how bad it would feel to be in her shoes, and yet, she'd taken it with such grace. She truly was an amazing person, there was a reason she'd never been akumatised before. 

"Do I get to know the lucky boy's name?" Chat asked, poking at Marinette's side, making her laugh. 

She pressed a finger to her lips, "I'm allowed my secrets, Chat Noir. Even from black cats who land on my balcony in the dark of the night." 

Chat grinned, "very well, Princess." 

Marinette suddenly turned to Chat, eyes wide, "sorry, here's me talking only about me!" 

Of course, she'd be concerned about that, Chat rolled his eyes, "it's fine, Marinette. I'm not nearly as noble as you." 

"You've probably got a chance with her," Marinette said, only letting some bitterness into her voice. Her. Yeah. Chat sighed. 

"I wouldn't say that," it was his turn to look down at the railings. 

"I must say, I didn't take you for good advice, or serious conversations in general." She remarked, trying to change the topic. It was a pleasant relief. 

"I'll have you know, I'm an incredibly good advice giver." 

"Mm, yeah, I'm sure." She grinned, giving him a slight shove in the chest. Chat laughed. 

"I should probably head off, but it was really nice to chat, Marinette." 

Marinette smiled, thanking him for putting up with her nonsense. 

"It was good, you needed someone to talk to. And I understand, sort of. I'm not nearly as calm about it." 

"Trust me, I've done the panic part too," she said lightly. 

Chat laughed, bowing gracefully as he leapt away from Marinette who waved. Chat sighed, racing towards his house. He had much to think about – and someone to text. At least he'd already finished his homework. 

Adrien collapsed onto his bed, which was becoming routine for him lately, staring up at the ceiling, phone in his hand. His mind ran through every meeting with Luka, every time he'd smiled, every laugh, everything he loved about the boy. Knowing that Luka was into guys, well, that didn't change a thing. He'd meant that. 

And yet, there was still the problem of who'd stolen Luka's own heart. 

He tried to flick through people Luka had talked to who would fit the criteria, but he came up empty. There was Nino and Ivan, but they were both taken, and Luka was smart enough not to fall for taken people.

Adrien paused, realizing that there was someone else who he'd skipped: Chat Noir. His own alter ego could have been his rival? Was that even a possibility? 

> _Chat Noir?_

He was prepared to wait, as he had earlier on in the day, but he was pleasantly surprised when his phone blinked a new message. As he read it, the pleasant feeling dropped.

> **Please stop asking, I'm not going to tell you Adrien.**

Which led to a rising panic, because it felt like just when Luka had finally started to open up to him that he was beginning to close up. 

> _Sorry_

He closed his phone, not wanting to see if another message had popped up. Plagg drifted over, giving Adrien his famous disapproving stare. Adrien rolled away, trying to escape the kwami. 

"Come on kid, you're not really this oblivious, are you?" Plagg's voice was bewildered. 

"What?" Came his muffled reply, with his face hidden in the pillows. 

"I don't want to spell it out for you, because it's not my job. But Adrien, whatever you feel towards Luka, I guarantee he feels also." 

Adrien grumbled unintelligently into the pillow. As the words sunk in, from his usually unhelpful kwami – who'd actually become relatively helpful over the past couple of weeks – it got him thinking. Perhaps, he'd been reading this all wrong. Perhaps there was a chance that Luka felt the same way about him. 

The smiles Luka sent towards Adrien, the small laughs when he wasn't paying attention, how close they'd become in such a short period of time. When they were in band practice, Luka stood unnecessarily close to him, always watching him, helping him. He'd played  _violin_  for Adrien. If that wasn't an indicator, he didn't know what was. 

Pulling out his phone, his heart racing, he wrote a text to Nino, who was as observant as anyone, he'd be able to confirm anything Adrien needed. 

> _Do you think Luka likes me back?_

He didn't have to wait long, thankfully, with the rate his heart was going he would be in cardiac arrest shortly. 

> Nino: I can't believe it took you this long to work out
> 
> Nino: The guy is infatuated with you
> 
> _Why didn't you tell me?_

Yeah, and save himself the stress. Yet, he thought this was possibly worse, because how was he supposed to sleep when he knew he could make it work between him and Luka? He wasn't sure how to go about doing that, but you know, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. 

> Nino: it was something you needed to work out on your own
> 
> Nino: I'm proud of you
> 
> Nino: you go get the boy
> 
> _Yeah, haven't worked that part out yet_
> 
> Nino: talk to him. 

Adrien smiled as he put his phone away, stretching out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It made sense, why Luka didn't want to tell him now: he couldn't risk scaring Adrien away. How could he scare him away though, when he felt the same? 

He really was oblivious though, not realizing sooner. He could solve complex math equations, but hand him a person with feelings towards him and he's lost. Adrien smiled, closing his eyes and thinking about what his future would bring, if he could make it work. Which he would. Because he was Adrien Agreste, he could have whatever he wanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically, I wrote the scene with Luka on some personal experiences, which really did help in getting it right.   
> Next chapter will hopefully be a bit more cheerful, this one was just laying some groundwork down. (anyone whos a horse rider should be able to get my reference there (: )  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the slightly obscure chapter, and thank you once again for your lovely comments!! I'll never not be amazed by the positive reaction this fic has gotten.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets sunshine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So lots of people are writing comments saying that something will happen to the boys, but I'm not that heartless, well I mean, I'll let you see for yourselves XD. I just felt kinda sorry for Adrien, poor kid needed a break.

> _Can we talk_?

Adrien sent the message first thing in the morning, already preparing a place for them to be able to talk. He had fencing after school, so his father wouldn't notice if he was just a little bit late home from that. Hopefully. Regardless, the school was a safe place for them to talk, and that was what they would need. 

His phone chimed and he checked the message instinctively. 

> **Yes? When suits you?**
> 
> _After fencing tonight – meet me in the gym?_
> 
> **I'll be there**

Adrien nodded to himself. He could make it through the day, he would be able to focus on school. 

Total lie. 

His heart was racing like a hummingbird, a car motor, a locomotive. His hands felt like they were shaking, tingles running through his body. There was no way he'd be able to make it to the end of the day, not the way he was feeling. 

He refused to dwell on what could happen (what if he was wrong? What if he didn't see him like that? What if he didn't want to be with him?) and instead got himself ready for school. It didn't even cross his mind to be concerned about what his father would think, what he would say, what he would  _do_. 

Nino gave him a fist bump as soon as he walked into the room, a cheerful, knowing look in his eyes. Adrien felt his face grow warm at the look. He caught Marinette watching him, turning to give her a wave. She smiled and returned the gesture, Alya shooting her a confused look. Marinette appeared the calmest he'd ever seen her before, especially talking to him. 

A thought crossed his mind, that perhaps  _he_  was the one she'd been talking about the previous evening, but he stuffed the idea. But it also made him think, he was kind of the only friend that she had who had a crush on someone (who wasn't already dating their crush, Nino). If it was indeed him, Adrien felt incredibly sorry for her, she deserved only happiness. 

Through their first class, Adrien could feel Nino's eyes glancing towards him every so often, and he stiffened each time. He knew, at lunch time, or whenever they had their next break, he was going to cop a great speech from his friend. Not something he was looking forwards to. 

Still, he managed to get through the morning classes and through to lunch in a relatively stable condition. That's not to say that his heart wasn't unsteady in his chest, or his nerves alight with anticipation, but he wasn't going to able to stop any of that just yet. 

Nino pulled Adrien aside once they were on lunch break. Adrien stood awkwardly beside his best friend. "So, have you got a plan?" 

"Plan?" Adrien asked in confusion.

Nino rolled his eyes, "to whoo your boy, you need a plan." 

"Ah, not really?" 

"Of course, you don't," Nino muttered, "look, my advice, just be honest." 

Adrien cocked his head, "is there an alternative?" 

"I mean yeah, you can always lie about anything." 

That was true. Why was Nino always speaking the truth? "I'll keep that in mind, thanks Nino." 

"Nervous?" 

Adrien let out a heavy breath of air, "yeah, more than ever before." 

"That's good, it shows you care." Nino nod appreciatively. 

"I hope so," Adrien mumbled. 

Nino smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. Adrien wasn't even surprised when he didn't feel the tingles, it wasn't Luka's arm, he thought. Only Luka had the power to make him feel like he was one fire. "You'll be fine, Adrien." 

They weren't given any more time to talk, Alya bouncing up beside them, towing Marinette along, who looked like she'd been forced to follow. She smiled awkwardly at Adrien, who gave her a sweet smile of his own. 

Adrien listened to his friends talk, his mind elsewhere. He just wanted to finish school, finish fencing practice, and see Luka. On his list of priorities, school wasn't at the top that day. 

"Hey, Adrien, are you still going to give Marinette fencing lessons on Tuesday's?" That was Alya, and Adrien froze at her words. 

"I'm busy?" he said hesitantly, shooting a pleading look to Nino, who seemed to gather the message. 

Marinette smiled softly, "It's fine, Adrien, I'm also busy tonight. How about next week?" 

"Yeah, yeah next week is brilliant." 

Well that was fortunate. Marinette had definitely been talking about him the previous night, because this girl knew him so well. She knew he was anxious about something, if the small smiles she sent his way were anything to go by. After everything he'd heard from her the previous night, he was pleased to still be able to call her a friend. That meant a lot to him.

He was actually incredibly glad to be in fencing, for once. It gave him the chance to focus on something else, other than his impending doom. He really hated being an overthinker, but he couldn't help it. Not when it was Luka on the line. 

Fencing though, it distracted him, because if he'd been distracted, he would have wounded himself. It was definitely a plus, if one could call self-preservation a plus. He managed to pull off some wins against his fellow team members, which wasn't unusual for him. Being Chat Noir definitely increased his natural skill level. 

Half way through, Adrien looked up, meeting two  _very_  familiar green eyes, distracting himself as he stared at Luka for a moment, which sent him straight onto the ground. His partner apologized profusely and Adrien just laughed, it was his fault. When he looked back to Luka, he was laughing. The rude person was laughing at Adrien having his butt handed to him. 

Adrien frowned to himself, closing his eyes for a moment, preparing himself to show Luka  _just_  what he was made of. His partners didn't know what hit them, Adrien was a force to be reckoned with. Even the teacher had trouble, and it was all thanks to Luka. Because Adrien wanted to show off for him. Gah, that boy had him wrapped around his finger and he didn’t even know!

When they were finally finished, Adrien walked casually over to Luka, as though his insides weren't churning up inside his skin. He was a puddle, at the complete mercy of the dip dyed teen. 

"For the record, 'can we talk' is a terrible way to start the morning," Luka said, his voice wavering slightly, and that was all the confirmation that Adrien really needed. 

Instead, the blonde shrugged, "now you know how I felt yesterday," he said with a cheerful smile on his face. 

He led them to the locker rooms, quietly checking to see if any of his classmates were still around. Finding no one, he turned to Luka. "It's me, isn't it?" 

"What?" Luka's voice was too high, too uncomfortable, the hurt in his eyes, Adrien's heart clenched. He needed to turn this around. 

"It's why you wouldn't tell me, because it  _is_  me." 

"Adrien – please, don't," Luka sounded like he was begging, and Adrien smiled softly, reaching forward with his hand, grasping Luka's own. Luka shifted his eyes to where their hands were now joined, eyes widening, confusion in their depths. 

When Luka said nothing else, Adrien leaned in closer, foreheads nearly touching, Luka's hot breath on Adrien's nose, Luka's lips only centimeters away from his own. Adrien could hear Luka's breath hitching, could feel how tense he was, but also the anticipation in his body. 

So, Adrien bit the bullet and kissed him. 

It wasn't much, to start with, Luka standing stock still in shock, but then he woke up, pushing back onto Adrien, kissing back. It only lasted for a second before Luka was pulling back, staring at Adrien. The blonde watched him nervously. 

"That bad, huh?" He asked hesitantly, afraid for the response. 

Luka grinned, "terrible, let me show you how it's done," he closed the distance between their lips once again, trapping his mouth on his own. Adrien, in his surprise, stumbled back and into the lockers, not even caring about the handle in his back. 

Bliss. 

Luka's lips were pure bliss. 

He'd imagined kissing Luka thousands of times, but the reality of the situation was so much more.  _Luka_  was so much more. He was everywhere, surrounding Adrien, suffocating him in his heat. His lips pressed firmly against Adrien's, his body trapping Adrien's, his arms curling up around Adrien's neck. Adrien's own hands snaked around Luka's body, keeping him where he was. 

Too soon, the moment was broken, Luka pulling back, surprise written in his eyes. "Wow, wow. Wow?" 

Adrien barked out a breathless laugh, still trying to catch his breath, "that was the best first kiss ever," he said in awe. 

Luka stared at him in apparent surprise, because none of what just happened was apparently this surprising, "that was your first kiss? Tell me you're joking!" 

Adrien pulled back slightly, releasing his grip from Luka, looking down, "not joking," he said softly. 

"You're far too perfect for me to be your first kiss," Luka said softly, lifting Adrien's head with a finger under his chin softly. Adrien allowed a small smile, perfectly content when Luka pressed a soft kiss on his lips a moment later. 

When Luka pulled back, he had a serious look in his eyes, on his face, Adrien immediately fearing the worst. he'd just gotten a taste of Luka, he wasn't ready to give that up yet! "I have to ask though – are you kissing me because you know I'm gay? Because you wanted to – to experiment?"

Adrien hurried to shake his head, trying to convey that  _no_  he wasn't experimenting with Luka,  _yes,_  his feelings for him were very much real. "I ah, no, short answer."

Luka gave him an expectant look, so Adrien hurried himself, "when we first met, we instantly got along. I've never felt anything like how I feel with you. It was the movies that made me realize, I've wanted to kiss you for an eternity, I've wanted to hold you, to spend every waking moment with you. I can't explain it, it just feels  _right_  to be with you," he explained with a deep breath as he concluded. 

Luka's smile was so wide, so genuine, Adrien just wanted to capture it with his lips, something he really,  _really_  wished he could do, now more than ever. "I must admit, I fell for you when we did our classical hide out day. To see you so careful, knowing that one wrong move could ground you forever, yet risking all of that for me, it opened my eyes." 

Adrien rested his forehead against Luka's for a moment, the biggest smile on his face. "you have  _no_  idea how long I've wanted to hear you say those words," he breathed. 

Luka grinned, "I think I've a pretty good idea," he commented, before he pressed his lips against Adrien's once more. And oh, if he'd thought the first kiss had been intense,  _this_ was a volcano erupting with more power than Tambora. 

He felt like he was in sync with Luka, moving as one, bodies pressed together, Luka pushing him into the lockers. Adrien wrapped his arms tightly around the guitarist's body, pulling him closer, reveling in the warmth of his body, the warmth of his lips. He was in complete awe at how  _right_  it felt, how perfectly  _natural_  kissing Luka was. 

He should have done this ages ago.

Luka was the one to pull away again, breathing heavily, both trying to catch their breath. Adrien refused to let go, he wasn't going to release Luka now. It was ok, Luka seemed to have the same idea, if the hands behind his neck were any indication. 

"You know that cute little café? I vote we go on a date there." Adrien said, happiness the only thing in his voice. 

"With me?" There was hesitation, concern, something Adrien was completely confused about. 

"I don't know anyone who manages to stop my heart with just a look or manages to kiss me to the point where I don't know left from right," he replied. 

"You wanna go on a date with  _me_?" 

"Ah, yes? I mean, unless you don't want to?" 

"Yes! Yes, I do. More than anything. Yes," Luka spoke quickly, nodding his head. Adrien let go of the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Luka's smile was so captivating, Adrien couldn't resist, finally able to capture the smile for himself. Luka responded eagerly, fitting their bodies just so, a perfect match. Adrien felt flames over his lips, tingles down his neck, where his fingers touched Luka they were burning.

"I'm going on a date with Adrien Agreste," Luka whispered happily as he pulled back only slightly from Adrien's lips. 

"What? No way! Where is he?" Adrien's eyes went wide, playing startled, but also amused. 

Luka rolled his eyes, laughing softly, his body shaking slightly, sending pleasant chills through Adrien's own skin. "Maybe I should just tell him no?" He leaned into Adrien's ear, the breath sending goosebumps through his neck. 

"Maybe you should," Adrien agreed, trying to focus on anything that wasn't Luka – he was failing miserably. Luka's presence stole every thought from his mind. 

Luka hummed, "he's a terrible kisser," he said thoughtfully. 

Adrien rolled his eyes playfully, "like you could do any better." 

"That sounds like a challenge. Very well, I accept! Let me show you how it's done," his wicked grin was enough to startle Adrien, but he didn't have time to think before Luka's hot lips were pressed on his own, impossibly close, impossibly strong. 

He'd thought their other kisses had been incredible, this one took the cake. Luka's mouth was everywhere, his tongue tracing Adrien's lips, asking for admittance. Adrien wasn't one to deny Luka anything, easily melding their tongues together, pushing back, searching. Adrien was in awe of Luka, everything about him, how he tasted, how he felt, he wanted to be like this forever. 

Adrien's hands travelled lower on Luka, at his waist point now, feeling Luka shudder, pausing his exploration of Adrien's mouth, which gave the blonde an advantage, pulling him irrecovably closer. 

They pulled apart reluctantly, both needing to breath, both faces flushed vibrant red. Adrien felt a laugh escape his mouth, earning a look from Luka, one that said he wanted an explanation. 

"I never thought I could be this happy," he admitted.

"Man, one kiss and you're lovesick already." 

Adrien swatted at his head, releasing only one hand from Luka's waist. "Shush, it's nice, spending so long watching you and thinking I could never have you," he explained. 

"I know how you felt. Adrien Agreste, poster straight boy." 

"We were both kinda oblivious," Adrien agreed.

"It's not a bad thing. We're together now," he paused, eyes widening at his next words, "we're together, right? Like, I can call you my boyfriend?" 

Adrien's heart stopped at the words, heart telling him  _yes_ , everything aching to tell him  _yes_. He wanted to be with Luka, in every single way he could, for as long as he could. "I'd really, really, like that," he finally said, once his heart had stopped throwing itself around. 

Luka's grin was so infectious, Adrien felt his own lips spread into a smile. "Adrien Agreste is my boyfriend," he said happily. 

Adrien rolled his eyes, "you need to stop saying it like that. I'm right here, you know," because if there was one thing he was, it was self-conscious about his last name, about his family. He didn't want to be known as the famous kid, he wanted to be known for himself, for what  _he_ had achieved. 

"You're right," Luka agreed, "so, what's next?" 

Adrien frowned, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He just wanted to get through their initial meeting, let all their feelings lay out in the open, then worry about what came  _next_. "I guess, we should probably take it slow? I've never been in a relationship before," he said carefully.

Luka nodded, "I'm ok with that. I'm telling Juleka though. And she'll probably tell Rose, those two are attached at the hip." 

Adrien laughed slightly, "they're perfect for each other, is all."

Luka shivered, "not when they're constantly being all lovey-dovey in front of my face. They've been dating for  _years_ , you'd think I'd be used to it." 

"I'm going to tell Nino, who'll probably tell Alya – and she'll tell Marinette." 

"They're all pretty close to you, aren't they?" 

Adrien nodded, "yeah, best friends I could get." 

"I'm glad you have such good friends."

"Me too," Adrien said softly, staring into Luka's eyes. 

Adrien sighed, glancing at the clock. His father wouldn't wonder where he was, but his staff certainly would. "I should probably go. Can't risk getting grounded now, can I?" 

"I'm sure you could find a way out of it," Luka said lightly, sensing the gravity of the situation. "You're not going to tell your father, are you?" 

Adrien looked away, "I - I would like to, I am  _not_  ashamed of my feelings for you, ok? Never  _ever_  think that. But if I told him, I'd either lose him, or I'd lose you. I couldn't bare for either of those things to happen." 

"It's fine, Adrien. I understand. Not a lot, my mother has supported Jules and I since the dawn of time, but I can see that your life is so much more complicated than mine, in terms of family relations." Luka explained calmly, shutting down all Adrien's negative emotions for a moment. 

"I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you, Luka. I don't fight fair." Adrien warned, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

Luka's face held his own mischievous smile, "I am glad to hear that, because neither do I."

Adrien beamed, leaning forwards and capturing Luka's lips one last time, before he waved good bye, bounding off towards home. He could feel his heart thumping pleasantly in his chest, the feelings of happiness blooming under his skin. Every molecule of his being  _sang_  for Luka, missing his contact already. It'd only been a couple of minutes!

When he got back to his own home, he was surprised to find his father standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at him with his usual blank expression. This time though, his thinned lips and blank eyes something terrifying: anger. 

Adrien nervously said hello, as Gabriel walked down the stairs powerfully, gaining the control in the situation immediately. Adrien kept his mouth shut, heart racing like a bullet train his chest. 

Gabriel walked into his office, Adrien followed obediently, unsure of where this conversation was going – he knew it couldn't possibly be good though. With the amazing day he'd just had, he was sure his good mood wasn't going to simmer so quickly, but here, standing with his father who looked about as angry as he'd ever seen him, Adrien forgot that he'd been happy. 

Still silent, Gabriel pulled a photo from a draw on his desk, slapping it onto the polished work surface. Adrien flinched at the movement, taking a moment to stare at the photo. His blood ran cold, his breathing hitched and his heart stopped. 

There, on the table, was a photo of Luka and Adrien at the cafe the previous day. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is heartless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the cliff hanger chapter :) 
> 
> Also, lots of you are writing REALLY amazing comments, and I'm reading them and I'm LOVING them, I just don't like to reply on this format - it feels a little strange so yeah... anyway, I created a tumblr so if you guys wanna shoot me messages on that, I'll answer ya and possibly give ya some spoilers ;)  
> http://sharka896.tumblr.com/  
> I really like hearing your ideas (even though I have the story planned out it's really nice to see different directions, ya know?) so thanks guys! Couldn't have asked for a better cheersquad, I wrote this fic cause there weren't any others and if ya wanna read something you should be the one writing it, right?  
> Anyway, hope you like the chapter :)

At first, his father didn't say anything, just stared down at his son. Adrien could feel himself shrinking under his father's glare. Then, the flood gates opened. 

"I've given you ample warnings, Adrien. I should never have to repeat myself as many times as I have." Gabriel's voice was cold, Adrien's bones filling with dread. 

"Father, please –" Adrien tried, but he was silenced by the coldest glare he'd ever seen. It could turn an active volcano into the arctic. 

"Silence. You have had enough time gallivanting outside. From tomorrow, you are never going back to school. Nathalie will resume her lessons with you." There was no room for arguing, and Adrien stood up tall, sensing there was more to his punishment. He had disobeyed his father multiple times, this was the final straw, he understood that. 

Didn't make it fair.

"I will be removing all your social hours, you will continue fencing lessons in the backyard." The everlasting punishment seemed to get infinitely bigger, Adrien dreaded when it would be finished. 

Gabriel stared his son down, daring him to challenge his judgement. Adrien couldn't bare to make it worse. "I will also remove phone privileges."

"No, father!" Adrien exclaimed in horror. If he couldn't use his phone, how would he contact Luka? Nino? Any of his friends? He would truly be on house arrest. 

"I've had enough with you disobeying me, Adrien. You will learn that every action has a consequence, and this is the result. Phone." He held out his hand expectantly, Adrien stubbornly refusing to hand it over, until his father gave him an incredibly scary narrow of the eyes. He sighed, fishing the phone from his pocket. 

"I'm doing this for your own good, Adrien. You'll see," Gabriel said, placing a hard onto his son's shoulder. Adrien flinched it off, glaring up at his father.

"How is taking away everything that made me happy for my  _own good_?" He demanded, trying to stand up for himself. He'd forgotten who he was talking to. 

"You will learn someday Adrien and thank me." 

Adrien glared at the ground, fuming, upset. Perfect fodder for Hawkmoth, but he didn't care. The injustice was just so  _unfair_. He wouldn't be able to see Nino again, or his friends from school. He wouldn't even be able to tell them why he wasn't coming back.

He sure as heck wouldn't be seeing Luka again.

He'd finally been able to hold Luka, finally able to be himself around him. To kiss him. It was all taken away from him, in one fell swoop, because someone had seen him in the café. Which was interesting, because Adrien really couldn't remember anyone inside the café other then the patrons, who all seemed too bored to actually be trying to take photos.

Gabriel gestured for Adrien to leave, and the boy sulked to the door. He glared at his feet in defeat, closing his father's office door before sprinting towards his room and throwing himself dramatically on his bed, not even caring that it jostled Plagg from his comfortable spot. 

His kwami wisely kept his mouth shut, sensing Adrien wasn't in the mood for a talk. How had everything gone so horribly _wrong_? He'd been perfect, on cloud 9, not an hour ago. And now, now he was falling into a pit of despair. It was a miracle Adrien didn't find an akuma in his room, because he felt pretty negative. 

Maybe Hawkmoth was just away on business for a while. Wouldn't that be nice?

Adrien grumbled into his bed, shouting to himself, trying to make sense of everything. He'd had happiness in his grasp, he'd had  _Luka_  in his grasp, how had everything gone so downhill? Why had his father only waited till  _today_  to ground him? 

He had too many questions and too few answers.

He wished Luka was there with him, he could help him. 

Adrien was hit with a sudden, unexpected feeling: longing. He  _missed_  Luka. He wanted him there, he knew Luka was the only one who would be able to increase his mood. Luka was the only one who could hope to understand how he was feeling. 

Usually, Adrien would wish for his best friend, but Luka was his  _boyfriend_. At least, he hoped he was, if they were ever able to see each other again. Adrien had to keep hope, because Luka was worth it. He only hoped Luka agreed, hoped he wasn't going to give up on him now he was on house arrest.

Adrien sat up slowly, blinking away his negative emotions, trying to release the tension from his shoulders. He needed to remain strong, he wasn't allowed to sink further. He'd been reduced to house arrest before, he could get out of it again. He was stubborn, like his father, he was determined, like his father, but there was one thing his father wasn't: Adrien. The boy who could stare down an akuma without a costume and not be afraid, he could face his feelings without freaking out (too much) and he wasn't about to be beaten by something as simple as  _being grounded._

Plagg noticed Adrien's attitude change and gave him a proud smile, "you back?" 

"Yeah, yeah I'm back," Adrien said, giving his kwami a nod. 

"Good, that wasn't an attractive sight."

Adrien rolled his eyes, "sorry I have  _feelings."_

"Forgiven," Adrien gaped at his kwamis blank answer.

Adrien wasn't given the chance to come up with a response as he heard a crash outside his window. He ran to the glass and stared down, seeing a strange sight. Down on the streets of Paris, every moving being was trapped into a cage of some sort or another. Adrien stared as the akuma responsible came into view, tugging someone with him. Adrien gasped as he recognized his father, who didn't look the slightest bit scared.

The akuma placed Gabriel in the center of the road before trapping him in the cage, obviously saying something to him. Adrien didn't have time to react as the akuma spotted him inside the window, leaping towards him gracefully. Adrien raced to the door, but he was too slow, bars placed around the door, blocking the exit. 

As he turned, Adrien recognized two things: a ring on his left hands index finger that was incredibly familiar, two, it had Luka's eyes. The akuma was Luka. Adrien had caused an akuma.  _Luka_  had become an  _akuma_  because of  _him_. 

he should probably have focused on the akuma, he thought, as he leapt forwards until he was standing directly in front of him, leaving no room for escape. 

"Luka?" Adrien asked, knowing it was true, but still wanting to double check. He refused to believe his beloved Luka had succumbed so quickly, how did he even  _know_? Did he text something? Did something change? Did he regret everything?

"I am not, I am Caged Justice! I am here to free you from this ivory tower," he said powerfully, grabbing Adrien around the waist, pulling him close to lift him up. Adrien, on any other day, would love to have Luka carry him, but this wasn't Luka, this was Caged Justice, a victim of Hawkmoth. 

The akuma leapt out of his room, breaking his window and not reacting, just leaping across the buildings, glaring down at Gabriel, who was standing calmly inside the cage. "Does that man have no feelings?" The akuma spat, using his ring to shoot a cage angrily at a bird. 

"Hey, what did the bird do to you?" Adrien demanded, glaring at his captor. Captor, not boyfriend. He looked away, this wasn't Luka anymore, the thought paining him more than he ever thought possible. Luka had been so strong, unaffected by dark feelings even when he'd been bullied out of a school. What had changed, between his happiness when Adrien had last seen him, up to this point?

"My cages hold only those who have done wrong. That bird got in my way," the akuma replied, using Luka's voice. Adrien cringed, he wasn't Luka. He refused to believe this was his Luka.

Caged Justice dropped Adrien at the tip top of the Eifel tower, making him shiver, clutching onto the metal structure. He wasn't unused to being up at this height, he just liked having the reassurance of being a superhero too. In his own skin, this was terrifying. 

"You will never be caged again," the akuma said proudly, puffing out his chest.  _That's_ what this was all about? Caged Justice was trying to give Adrien  _freedom_? That was the strangest thing he'd ever heard. But it was also mildly romantic. But mostly terrifying. How was he supposed to become Chat Noir with his constant supervision? 

Right as he was concerned about his own transformation, Ladybug joined the scene, giving Adrien a smile before squaring up to Caged Justice. She looked from Adrien to the akuma, her face deepening into concern. 

"Ah, Ladybug, right on time. Come to save my prince, have you?" Caged Justice demanded, pulling Adrien closer. He flinched, not wanting to be so close to the akuma, to the imposter. This was a hurtful copy of his boyfriend, this was the result of his own father. This was his fault. He needed to be the one to fix it. 

"You're prince?" Ladybug asked, her voice light, teasing him. She was doing _Chat's_  job! She was egging the akuma on. She was braver then Adrien gave her credit for, which was impressive, given that he put her on a pedestal in the clouds.

"Silence! I will not have you take him away from me!" Ladybug easily avoided his shots, dancing around him. She really  _was_  playing with him. She was  _enjoying_ this. 

"Who said I wanted to take him away from you?" She laughed lightly, hanging upside on the spire. Adrien watched her in awe. 

Caged Justice didn't like that. He increased his efforts, knocking Ladybug off balance and sending her spiraling down. She easily regained herself and renewed her own efforts, making sure not to hit Adrien whilst she was busy. 

Adrien may not have been in his costume, but he knew where the akuma was. He needed a way to actually get it though, without hurting either of them. Akuma he might be, Luka was still inside him somewhere. 

He leapt forwards, grabbing Caged Justice by the waist, catching him by surprise. The surprise morphed quickly into anger, throwing Adrien off, sending him falling, narrowly holding onto a beam, scrambling to stand back up. Ladybug immediately saw the danger and swung to pick him up, placing him on a lower beam. 

Caged Justice didn't like that, jumping onto the same beam, facing off the lady in red. Adrien thought quickly, knowing he needed to help in any way he could, facing the akumas back having its advantages. He needed to be able to catch him unawares and rip the ring from his finger. 

Adrien overheard Ladybug's soft "where's Chat Noir?" with a slight hint of fatigue. She was getting tired, Adrien needed to help. He could do this. 

The blonde boy ran forwards, gripping onto Caged Justice tightly around his waist, ripping his hand away, prying the ring from his finger. Adrien threw the ring to Ladybug, who destroyed it instantly, purifying the area with her Lucky charm - that she hadn't even had the chance to use. Adrien could feel the moment Luka returned, stumbling away from the edge of the tower with a startled gasp. 

Luka looked up to Adrien, confusion in his eyes, before realization set in, a frown on his lips, concern in his eyes. "What did I just do?" it wasn't: what happened? because that part was fairly obvious. 

Ladybug walked forwards, watching Adrien cautiously, looking to Luka, "you fell victim to Hawkmoth, but you didn't hurt anyone," she assured him with a smile. 

Luka breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing into Adrien's strong arms, a feeling Adrien had yet to get used to. the warmth, the calm, how natural it felt, these were all new feelings for him - that's not to say that they weren't absolutely amazing. 

"You did trap me at the top of the tower and then throw me off though," Adrien said lightly, watching Luka's eyes widen in horror, a laugh on Adrien's own lips at his reaction. "relax, you were trying to save me from my, I believe, 'ivory tower'?"

Luka hid his face into Adrien's chest, and the blonde looked up in surprise, not expecting it. Definitely wasn't unwelcome though, "sorry, Adrien. I'm so sorry!" 

"It's not your fault," Adrien said calmly.

"It is though, don't you see? Hawkmoth only preys on those who  _already_  have negative feelings – he doesn't create them." 

Ladybug walked forwards, reappearing in Adrien's mind – he'd completely forgotten that she was still there (or that they were still in fact at the top of the Eifel tower). "You're only human, you are allowed to feel upset, for any particular reason." 

Adrien looked to Luka, worry crossing his features, "what was it that set you off?" 

"Can I tell you once we're off the building?" Luka asked, still clutched close to Adrien's chest, and he recognized that Luka was afraid of heights. 

Ladybug gasped, as though also forgetting they were atop the large structure, "sorry, sorry!"

Adrien pulled Luka in close, holding onto Ladybug, who smiled as she swung her yoyo and guided them to the ground. As soon as their feet hit the ground, Luka relaxed tenfold. Ladybug looked between the two boys with a smile on her face. She  _definitely_  knew, she was too observant not to know. 

Ladybug's earrings beeped, which sent her darting off, allowing Adrien to give Luka a proper once over, checking to make sure he was fine, which Luka was apparently also doing to Adrien. "You're sure I didn't hurt you?" Luka demanded.

Adrien smiled, "nothing worse than other akumas obsessed with me," he said cheerfully. "you ok?" 

Luka sighed, looking away, his fingers on Adrien's back fiddling with Adrien's shirt. "I am now, I am so sorry - I never want to hurt you." 

Adrien ran a hand softly over Luka's face, a gentle smile on his features, "I know, Luka." 

Luka pressed his head to Adrien's chest in relief, finding comfort in his warmth. Adrien had to admit it was definitely a pleasing sensation. "You're grounded, aren't you?"

Adrien awkwardly looked away, "I mean, yes? My father took my phone off me too, and I'm sorry if you were worried because I wasn't replying to your messages - I've got be too careful. I'm not - I'm never letting you go, you're stuck with me. I just have to make my father see sense."

Luka looked down, fingers back to fiddling with the shirt, "that wasn't why I was upset. Sure, I was concerned, but I figured you were either busy or your phone was off."

"Then, why?" Adrien was thoroughly perplexed now. 

"I got a phone call, from your father," he began, looking into Adrien's startled eyes with his own sad ones, "he told me if I didn't stay away from you he could make my life miserable. My life would be miserable  _without_  you, but I wasn't about to tell  _him_  that."

"My father called you."

"Yes?" 

"He  _called you_?" 

"It's really not -"

Adrien cut him off, "he has  _no right_  to talk to you, he might be able to control  _me_ , but he sure as  _heck_  ain't going to control you." 

"Adrien, just-"

"I'm not losing you because of him, Luka. I refuse to let him beat me. Not like this." 

Luka smiled, "I don't think you could lose me if you tried." 

Adrien flushed, staring into Luka's eyes, all traces of anger gone. What his father did was unforgivable, he should not have made Luka feel inferior, he was  _not_  allowed to talk to his boyfriend in an effort to drive him away. Adrien was going to crack at him when he got home, but for now, Luka was in his arms, Luka was safe, and he hadn't seemed to take the words into account. He still wanted Adrien, for some bizarre reason. 

"I'm not sure when I'll see you again," Adrien muttered, faces pressed close together, Luka's breath on his lips. They were so exposed, at the base of the popular landmark, but if Adrien was going to be on house arrest, he was going to make the most of this occasion. 

"Well, I'll make sure I don't assume the worst then." Luka promised, words like a breath of warmth on Adrien's lips. 

"I will  _always_  come for you, never forget that." Adrien swore, the fire in his eyes capturing Luka's attention. The dip dyed teen smiled happily, kissing Adrien gently, a promise. Adrien smiled into the kiss, it wasn't a good-bye kiss, just a 'till next time' one. 

"I'm going to head home, before my father gets any angrier." 

"That's a good plan. I will – I'll see you soon, alright?" He asked hesitantly. 

Adrien smiled sadly, "yeah, soon. I'll come over to you." 

"Looking forwards to it," Luka said, waving as Adrien ran off towards home. 

Adrien frowned once he was away from his boyfriend (the word still gave him warm fuzzies in his stomach) thinking only about how mad he was with his own father. That man had no  _right_  to call up a complete stranger about his son. So, what? He thought he'd been protecting him? He needed to let him live his life, mistakes and all. 

Plagg popped up at Adrien's collar, giving him a glance, one that asked if Adrien was alright. Adrien could safely say that it had been one  _rollercoaster_  of a day. He now had to deal with his father, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a sane head. It really wouldn't surprise him if he became a viable target for Hawkmoth, he was livid. 

As soon as he reached his home, he slammed the door opening, startling Nathalie from her desk, who tried to prevent Adrien from entering his father's office. Adrien ignored her, barging straight into Gabriel's office without a care, pointing an accusatory finger at Gabriel, who was clearly on the phone with someone. That didn't stop Adrien, not this time. 

"Just  _who_  do you  _think_  you  _are_?" Adrien demanded, standing in the doorway. He'd  _never_  yelled at his father, and he knew why: it was terrifying. Just seeing the calculating look on Gabriel's face was scary enough, but when he said that he needed to  _'deal with something'_ to his colleague on the phone, Adrien regretted his words.

"I am working, Adrien." 

"You called Luka," Adrien ignored his father, he needed to first get this off his chest – punishments be damned. 

"I did what needed to be done. I can't have my son with a clearly poor influence." 

"Since when did it become your job to decide who is a good person for me?" 

Gabriel stalked closer, his glare growing, Adrien trying harder not to shrink away. "I am your  _father_ , and I will not see you with someone like him."

"You don't even  _know_  him! He's absolutely amazing, father. He means a lot to me," he pleaded. This wasn't going according to plan, he was failing miserably. He'd never see Luka again at this rate.

"A boy like that can only be using you, Adrien. Use your brain." 

That was cold, even for his father. Adrien shrank back, glaring at the floor. "I like him, father. Let me make my own mistakes, please?" He begged, trying to appeal to his father's humanity. 

That was his flaw: Gabriel had no humanity. 

Gabriel frowned, but the look in his eyes was contemplative, Adrien thought he may have finally gotten through to his father. "It's my job to protect you, Adrien. However, if you wish to learn the hard way, I shall not stand in your way." 

"I'm allowed to see Luka?" Adrien asked with excitement.

"Mm, I suppose so. You can return to school," even though he hadn't actually  _missed_  a day yet, Adrien was thrilled. Stoked. Over the moon.  _His father was letting him see Luka_. 

"Thank you, father!" Adrien explained, rushing forwards to hug Gabriel, who stiffened under the contact. Adrien didn't even care, he just wanted to hug his father. He was still a child who relied on his father, not that he was really present. More like, the unfortunate controlling figure.

Gabriel handed Adrien his phone back, giving him a stern look, "just remember, I warned you." Because the man couldn't do a nice thing without turning it into something ominous. Adrien was just so thrilled, he was able to hang out with Luka now, without trying desperately to keep it from his father. 

Adrien rushed out of his father's study, heading for his bedroom, plugging his phone into charge and texting Luka as the first thing he did. 

> _!!!! Father's given me permission to see you!!!!_
> 
> **!!!! That's AMAZING**
> 
> _We can go on that date C:_
> 
> **We could go on multiple dates**
> 
> _I'd like that_

Well, the close of one of the most stressful days was upon him – he wasn't even sure how he was still standing. First, admitting his feelings to Luka and gaining a boyfriend ( _highlight_ ), getting home and being grounded (lowlight), fighting his  _boyfriend_  as an akuma (terrifying) and then confronting his dad about calling said boyfriend that enabled him to  _become_  an akuma, then being allowed to see his boyfriend with his permission. 

All in all, a good way to end his day. Especially when he got a special good night text from Luka.

> **I look forwards to seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well,** **Bathoven** **.**
> 
> _Sweet dreams,_ _Mousart_


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love and pillow fights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter :) had some writers block on this one, I know where it's going, but I don't know how to get there? It's like my terrible sense of direction!   
> I'm thinking about maybe writing a side chapter from Luka's perspective? Not sure if that's actually something people would be interested in reading though, lemme know your thoughts guys.

Adrien couldn't remember a time when he was happier. He'd officially been dating Luka for just over a week, coming into the weekend, one where they'd planned to meet up and watch a movie together. He couldn't imagine how he'd managed to live his life so long without Luka, without his friends, because now, it was all he knew. He spent his waking hours thinking about his boyfriend, he spent his sleeping moments dreaming about him. He wasn't concerned that Luka didn't feel the same, because it was pretty easy to tell they were both infatuated with each other. 

Over the span of the week, Adrien had told Nino, who had, obviously, been absolutely thrilled. True to Adrien's predictions, Alya came up and congratulated Adrien, and Marinette told him she wished him all the best. She seemed to be holding back, but she also seemed genuinely pleased for him, and he appreciated that. 

He also got to have an enlightening conversation with Rose and Juleka, which went something like this:

* * *

 

Juleka called Adrien over, her features calm, showing no emotion. Adrien walked away from his friends, heading for where Juleka and Rose were seated on the bench. Rose had her usual smile on her face as she greeted him. 

"How are you today?" he asked, already sensing where this conversation would go. 

"You're dating my brother," Juleka said bluntly, her eyes piercing into Adrien's own. He could feel his stomach bolt down its doors, preparing for a torrent of flips. 

"Yes?" He really shouldn't have sounded so unsure, he  _wasn't_. He'd never been  _surer_  of anything in his life. 

Juleka noticed his tone, her eyes narrowing just slightly, "wrong answer," she said, her voice never altering tone.

Adrien swallowed nervously – was this the part where she told him Luka was too good for him? When she would say he didn't deserve Luka? Both of which would be true, Luka  _was_  too good for him, Adrien already knew that. He didn't need his boyfriend's sister telling him that though. 

"Yes – Luka's my boyfriend," he repeated, trying to sound a bit more affirmative. 

Juleka nodded, her eyes softening only slightly, "treat him right. He deserves only the best."

"Yeah, he does," Adrien agreed, sounding breathless, which made Juleka smile. He'd apparently passed the test, because she relaxed and put her arm around Rose, about to steer her away. 

Rose, instead, with a sugar sweet smile on her angel face, said, "hurt him and I will destroy you," her voice cold, menacing, matching only Adrien's own father for malice. She grabbed onto Juleka, who was staring at her with humor on her features, "ok, bye Adrien!" she called, bouncing away, Juleka following calmly. 

Adrien stared after her in surprise, taking a moment to compose himself before pulling out his phone and texting his boyfriend, still stunned. 

> _I think your sister and girlfriend just threatened me?_
> 
> **Oh, don't worry about Jules. She's looking out for me**
> 
> _I'm not worried about her - I am worried about Rose though_
> 
> **Ah, yes her you should be.**
> 
> _Reassuring_
> 
> **< 3 **

Adrien's heart leapt at the text, he still wasn't used to Luka's small shows of affection (he didn't think he ever would be). It was comforting to know that Luka had a support system, that his sister cared for him as she did.

* * *

 

Since then, Rose and Juleka had begun to talk to Adrien a little more, just to say hi when he walked into class. It was nice, they made class a little friendlier when they weren't huddled to themselves. Chloe was still... well, Chloe, but she wasn't about to make a complete change overnight. Adrien didn't know what would happen if she ever found out Adrien was dating someone who wasn't her. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out either. 

Adrien's happiness was infectious, his small group becoming evidently bubblier. Adrien could tell Marinette was holding back, only slightly, but she seemed to be opening up, relaxing more around him. He did feel sorry for her, knowing what he knew, but he couldn't change how he felt about Luka, nor did he want to. Marinette was amazing, but she could only ever be his friend. 

Marinette was still just as determined to join the fencing group, so Adrien was perfectly happy to continue on with his private tutoring with her. Luka had been surprised when he'd told him, but he didn't seem jealous – not that there was anything to be jealous off, realistically. Luka held Adrien's heart in the palm of his hand, and he knew it too. 

It was a Friday afternoon, school just having let out, Adrien waiting on the steps with Nino for his boyfriend. Luka had invited Adrien back to his place for dinner the previous day, Adrien's father surprisingly said yes, which meant he was allowed to go. Adrien really wasn't sure how his father had just said yes so quickly, why he was allowing him to have so much freedom so suddenly, but he wasn't about to complain. 

Alya and Marinette had already vanished, going to Alya's place to study. Juleka and Rose had already left, heading towards Juleka's house. Adrien was only mildly envious of those two, their parents were super accepting of their relationship, just wanting their daughters to be happy. Adrien's father would never be like that, but at least Luka's mother seemed to like him.

Standing out the front of the school, Adrien caught Chloe's eye as she came down the steps, Sabrina in tow. The girl saw Adrien and beamed, bounding over to him, her manicured hair bouncing carefully behind her. Sabrina appeared to be carrying her books, much to Adrien's distaste. 

"Adrikins," Chloe pulled him in for a hug, Adrien stiffening at her touch. She released him after a moment, giving him a look. Adrien shrugged her off, taking a step back into Nino. He may have been her friend, but he didn't particularly enjoy having her perfumed body against his. The only person he enjoyed hugging was Luka, who was apparently in view of Chloe. By the look on his face, he'd seen the hug too. 

Adrien waved him over, Luka moving with sluggish steps up to Adrien, standing awkwardly, staring at Chloe. "Chloe, you know Luka?" 

Chloe gave Luka a once over, a sneer on her features. Remembering their last conversations, Adrien could understand the uncomfortable way his boyfriend was standing. "sure, he's that guitar dude you insist upon hanging out with," Chloe said, her tone implying it simply wasn't worth her time. 

Luka frowned, eyes darting to Adrien's momentarily, before he fiddled with his jumper. Adrien glanced to Luka for a moment, "you don't know him, Chloe." 

"Like I'd waste my time on him anyway," Chloe brushed him off, looking at her manicured nails. 

"What are you doing here Chloe?" Nino demanded, sounding exasperated. They had to deal with her in school, they shouldn't have to deal with her now too. 

Chloe stared at Nino with a look of pure innocence, "I wanted to ask my Adrien if he wanted to hang out with me tonight," she sent her doe eyes to the blond boy, who stiffened. 

Luka's eyes snapped to Adrien's, a jolt of fear showing through them, Adrien trying to reassure him with his eyes, but failing miserably - if the frown on Luka's face was anything to go by. "I'm good, thanks Chloe. I've already made plans." 

"Your father couldn't possibly let you hang out with people like _him_." 

"What do you mean by that?" Adrien demanded, trying to keep his cool, trying to remember that she was in fact a friend, she may not have her morals in the right area, but she was still his friend. 

Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly, darting between Luka and Adrien, not even caring that Nino was still standing there, glaring at her. "you're from two different worlds, Adrien."

Adrien looked down, it wasn't like the thought hadn't crossed his mind. He would never stop being amazed that Luka accepted him, accepted that Luka and Adrien were completely different, yet fit so perfectly. Adrien shot a look to Luka, who was biting his lip. He was only allowed to look like that if he was allowed to kiss him, Adrien lamented. 

"Chloe, can I speak with you for a moment, please?" Adrien asked, Luka looking up in surprise, but giving him a reassuring smile. Adrien gently brushed their hands together as he steered Chloe into a secluded area, who was giving him a confused look. 

"What's really going on, Adrien?" She asked, searching his eyes. They'd been friends for so long, of course she'd be able to sense something was up - even if she had become as self-centered as she was.

"I need you to lay off of Luka, please," Adrien asked, sending her a pleading look. 

She cocked her head, "I don't know what you mean?" 

"You do, Chloe. You're constantly telling him he's out of my league, he doesn't need you to tell him that – he already believes it." Not that Adrien didn't also feel the same way, of course. He was just learning to accept that he was able to be happy at the moment. 

She scoffed, "it's true though, you're too good for him." 

"Chloe, please, if you were truly my friend, you'd do this for me," Adrien had been reduced to begging, very unbecoming for him. 

She looked up, searching his eyes at the tone. "you really like him, don't you?" 

"Yes," he said simply. 

She sighed, "fine, I'll  _try_  to be nice to him," she put the emphasis on try, as though she wouldn't be liable for anything that she may do. 

Adrien breathed a heavy sigh of relief and hugged her. "thank you, Chloe!" 

She rolled her eyes, marching back over to where Sabrina stood awkwardly making conversation with Nino and Luka, who looked like he wanted to run away. Chloe grabbed onto Sabrina, dragging her away with some pitiful excuse. The saying ' _if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all_ ' was pretty much a walking Chloe statement, she was trying to change though – walking off was a good start. 

With Chloe gone, Adrien turned to Luka, seeing the confusion in his eyes and sending him an apologetic smile, "I am so sorry, I didn't know she'd be around, I know how uncomfortable she makes you," Adrien said quickly and in one breath. 

Luka shrugged, placing a smile on his face, clearly uneasy as his eyes showed his facade. "She's your friend, I'm not going to stop you from having friends." 

Nino awkwardly shuffled at the side, declaring he needed to go home, letting Adrien lean in closer to Luka, who turned a beautiful shade of red. "Thank you." 

Luka pressed his hand into Adrien's, pulling them onto the streets, hand in hand. Adrien should have felt awkward, he should have felt like he'd get stares – that people might see – but he felt at home, that Luka's hand on his, it was perfect. His hummingbird heart leapt off, looking down at their entwined fingers and back to his beautiful boyfriend's face. 

"I must say, Chloe's hugs look pretty awkward. I'm almost glad she doesn't like me," Luka remarked, some jealousy seeping into his voice. 

Adrien squeezed Luka's hand gently, reassuringly, "I mean, I guess I'm used to it now? She's pretty much always been a hug person – but she really doesn't like to tell people, makes her seem soft." 

"Oh, cause if there's one thing Chloe Bourgeois is not, it's  _soft_." Luka scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"You really don't have to worry about her, I'm not in love with her," Adrien said, words out of his mouth before he'd even thought them through. 

Luka stilled, stopping on the footpath, their connected hands causing Adrien to stop also. Adrien's heart was both beating a mile a second and frozen, realizing  _exactly_  what he'd just said. Was it too soon? Did Luka not feel the same? That part didn't matter, but would Luka feel strange knowing Adrien was in love with him when his own feelings weren't as strong? 

"Who are you in love with, then?" Luka asked, his voice soft, staring straight into Adrien's green eyes, his eyes curious, happy, scared. Adrien hated the last emotion. 

"Do I really have to say it?" Adrien asked softly, looking at the hands instead. 

Luka smiled, leaning his face in closer, breath on Adrien's skin, lips mere inches away from his own. Adrien should have been concerned by the very public area they were in, but this,  _Luka_ , was more important. 

"I want to hear you say it," Luka whispered, breath tingling Adrien's lips. 

"I love you." 

Luka's entire face lit up, his smile so wide Adrien thought it might break, his eyes shining like the sun. The show of emotion shouldn't have surprised Adrien as much as it did, but at least he wasn't laughing at him. 

"I don't – I don't expect you to say it back," he said softly, fumbling with his free hand to his shirt. 

Luka's own hand reached under Adrien's chin, bringing their lips together softly, gently, Luka sending Adrien only happiness, showing his love for him in any way he could. Adrien melted into the kiss, trying to remember a moment when he'd been more at peace. His brain always went fuzzy when he was kissing Luka though. 

When Luka pulled back, dragging Adrien with him for a moment, he smiled gently. "I love you too, Adrien. I have for a while, I didn't want to scare you off though." 

"Scare me off? I was terrified you'd think I was too clingy," Adrien exclaimed.

Luka huffed out a breathless laugh, "guess we're both scared of admitting our own emotions." 

"We'll get used to it," Adrien commented happily, dragging Luka towards his house, which they were still a way from. 

They were almost back at Luka's home, boat in sight, when Luka commented, "why did you think you were clingy?"

Adrien shrugged, a blush lighting his cheeks as he ducked his head, "I mean, I want to constantly spend time with you, and I don't want you to get sick of me," he replied. 

Luka gave a short laugh, "I don't think I'll ever get sick of you, Adrien. Not in this lifetime."

Adrien's heart did a small somersault at his words, smiling brightly. "Good, because you're stuck with me." 

As they boarded the boat, standing on the deck, Luka grinned, pulling Adrien in from the waist, pressing their faces together cheerfully. "Oh, whatever shall I do?" 

Adrien laughed happily, pressing his lips carefully to Luka's, capturing the smile on his own. "love me, feed me," he said with a shrug as he pulled back. He ignored his racing heart at his words, trying to maintain a cool façade. 

"I think I should be able to manage that," Luka agreed, as though truly considering Adrien's own words. Adrien rolled his eyes and instead returned their lips together, bodies pressed up close, soaking in the warmth of the other boy. 

"Oi, no mucking about on my decks lads," a loud voice broke them apart, Adrien's eyes blown wide, heart racing, relaxing only as he saw Luka roll his eyes at his own mother, who was standing at the entrance of the ship's cabin, giving them a suggestive look. 

"Hi, mum," Luka called, waving a hand. 

Anarka waved back, calling them inside. Luka dragged Adrien down into the galley, preparing a small snack for the two of them. Anarka entered the galley also, giving the boys a smile. Adrien should have felt awkward, but with how relaxed Luka was against his side, he couldn't help but relax in turn. 

"How was school?" She asked eagerly, propping herself against the walls of the ship.

Luka shrugged, "school, I guess. Got a letter from America, some scholarship program," he said flatly, with no interest. 

Adrien perked up, instantly curious. He knew his boyfriend was finishing school at the end of the year, and that he wanted to make his own through the music industry, but he hadn't thought that Luka might travel to  _America_. That was too far away. Would a long-distance relationship work?

Anarka looked up also, giving her son a powerful stare, "and?" 

"It's in America, that's too far away, how would I be able to look after you and Jules?" 

Adrien startled, sensing that they weren't the only ones holding him back from his dream,  _he_ was. "This is your dream though."

Luka spun a look to him, "even if I went there, I don't want to go to school. I'm happier just playing my music, you both know that." 

Anarka sighed, Adrien sensed that this was an age-old argument. "you need to get a job too," she reminded him. 

"I'll marry into money, mum. Find myself a handsome, blonde model." He said, sending Adrien a sly look, which had him blushing. 

"Think about it, won't you?" Anarka insisted, giving her son a sharp look. 

"I'll think about it," he agreed, giving a sigh. 

Anarka left the room, leaving Adrien to stare at Luka in surprise. "you didn't tell me you got accepted to a uni in America?"

"Yeah, I didn't want you to feel like I was turning it down because of you," Luka muttered. 

"Are you?" 

He shook his head, looking straight into Adrien's eyes, "no, Adrien. I'm turning it down because uni isn't my thing. I want to travel, sure, but I don't want to be constricted. I'll make my own way, and I'll take you with me, but I don't want to accept a scholarship I didn't earn." 

Adrien shouldn't have been as relieved as he was, it wasn't fair, this was Luka's future they were talking about, but yet, he just wanted to be selfish and hold onto his boyfriend forever. "What do you mean?" 

"I didn't apply to any colleges, I don't know how someone in America found me." Alarm bells rang in Adrien's mind, but he chose to ignore them, in favor of his usual optimism. 

"Maybe someone saw the videos of the band online?" He suggested. 

Luka frowned, "if that were the case, why haven't they contacted the group?" 

"We're still two years away from graduating." 

"They could hold a spot for you, if they really wanted us." 

"This could be their way of saying you're the bands true talent," Adrien suggested. 

Luka sighed, "I don't want to go to uni just yet, Adrien. I just want to make my own way for a bit." 

Adrien nodded slowly, looking down, "yeah, I get that."

Luka smiled, "great, because I wanted to show you something," he led the way to his room, Adrien pausing as he entered, glancing around the small state room. It was very  _Luka_ , everything about it reminding Adrien of who was at his heart.

Luka picked up his guitar, sitting himself on his bed, gesturing for Adrien to sit beside him. The blonde did so happily, crossing his legs as he stared at the dip dyed teen. Luka smiled, strumming the guitar carefully, playing from his heart, as Adrien had come to expect from him. The music started soft, Adrien recognizing the emotions easily. Luka was playing their first kiss, he was playing the fear, the joy, putting it all into a piece of music in a fluent motion. 

The music drifted into sadness, when Luka had heard what his father had done, when Luka had been akumatised, but returned to happiness, Adrien recognizing Luka's text cord easily. Luka played with his eyes locked onto Adrien's, determined to show his love for him in the only way he knew how: through his music. 

Adrien was speechless, he didn't have words, Luka finishing his piece and lowering his guitar to the ground, staring at Adrien. With still no words, Luka gave an awkward laugh. 

"That good, huh? I thought for sure I nailed that one," Luka muttered, looking down at his hands. 

Adrien shook his head rapidly, trying to make his brain form a sentence, "that was beautiful, amazing. I don't know how you do it, I really don't."

Luka laughed, scratching the back of his neck, "guess I'm just good with cords," he said lightly, though he was clearly embarrassed with the high praise. 

"I'll say," Adrien smiled, moving his hand to rest on Luka's, earning him a small grin. 

"I'll have to teach you violin soon, won't I?" 

"Mm, you did promise," Adrien agreed.

"Can't back down from a promise."

"That would make you a liar," Adrien grinned.

Luka hummed, "one thing I don't want to be." 

Adrien smiled happily, leaning in, bringing their lips together softly, sharing the warmth and happiness Adrien felt. Neither of them were terribly great with words, but what they didn't say out loud, they could via other means. Luka could play his heartstrings on the guitar, but Adrien could use his body language effectively, extend his happiness through his motions. 

"Stay for dinner?" Luka asked, voice soft against Adrien's lips. 

"That was the plan," Adrien smiled, bringing a hand to cup Luka's face.

"Just double checking." 

"Your mum's cooking is amazing," Adrien grinned, pulling back and putting a thoughtful expression on his face. 

"It is, isn't it? That's why you're staying, to have her food?" 

"Well, yeah, what else is here for me?" 

Adrien didn't have time to react as Luka threw a pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. He coughed, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend. "You really shouldn't have done that," he said, his tone dark, competitive, Luka swallowing as he saw the real spark of fire in Adrien's eyes. 

Challenge accepted. 

Thankfully, though their hits were strong and they weren't holding back  _at all_ , they weren't going to have bruises, they were just pillows. Adrien's own fort though, that was a piece of art. Luka had claimed the bed as his territory, Adrien claiming the floor near the door, blocking it off, creating a shield. Pillows, sheets, soft toys, everything went flying in all directions, neither going to let the other win. 

"Didn't take you for pillow fights," Luka laughed breathlessly as he called for a respite. 

Adrien beamed, standing victoriously. "I never back down from a fight." 

"I think I'll remember that," Luka said seriously, still trying to catch his breath. 

Adrien grinned, bouncing up next to Luka happily. "maybe next time, you'll choose a game with an even playing field." 

"This is my own  _room_. I should have the upper hand!" 

"On contrary, my dear Luka, I will  _always_  have the upper hand." 

Luka mumbled something under his breath, then said, "we shall see." 

"Oh, yes. Yes, we will." 

They both laughed, the competition still in the atmosphere, but settling back into their usual happy atmosphere. Adrien was happy, just being with his boyfriend, being  _allowed_  to be with his boyfriend, not having to worry so much about what his father was going to think. He still had to worry about telling his father, he wasn't going to keep his relationship secret forever, he wasn't about to hide Luka, he wasn't going to be that person. He just needed a bit more time with Luka first, before his father decided to monitor everything they did. 

Adrien considered happiness to be the most amazing feeling of his life, and Luka was the reason for his happiness. Without him, he wasn't sure he'd be able to feel like himself. He needed to tell Luka about Chat though, he didn't want to keep his alter ego a secret for much longer. Luka deserved the truth from him, even if that meant revealing that he was the City's black cat of destruction. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akuma's and cafe's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter :)  
> Have started to write a side chapter with Luka point of view, hopefully it's alright. It probably won't be essential to the plot don't worry :)  
> I'm loving hearing you guys's thoughts on where the stories going! Several people are definitely on the right track, not going to say who though ;)  
> ENJOY

The akuma of the week was  _not_ a simple one. He was dedicated, Chat had to hand it to him, she was convinced she could return Paris into a floral paradise. That meant she was turning people into trees, buildings into parkland, ground into grass. She was strong, Ladybug and Chat wasting their abilities twice already. Ladybug was stressed, the parklands preventing her from finding fuel for her kwami, as Chat also found - but Plagg was as resourceful as he was irritating, finding his own sustenance in the act of being lazy.  

Chat gave Ladybug a glance, trying to work out a plan. They needed to get  _rid_ of this akuma, and soon. She was taking up too much of Chat's time, he had plans, ok? He was supposed to be hanging out with his boyfriend and best friend afterschool, he hadn't put 'fighting an akuma' into those plans.  

Ladybug dodged a vine shooting towards her, sending it towards Chat unintentionally. Chat grimaced and bounced away, closing the distance between himself and his lady in red. She watched the akuma carefully, trying to spot where the akuma was, or how to  _get_ it.  

"Her earrings?" Chat suggested, noticing the flower earrings the akuma was sporting.  

Ladybug frowned, "how do we get those?"  

"Teamwork," Chat grinned, looking at his partner.  

Ladybug smiled, "third times a charm, right?" 

"That's what they say," Chat agreed, leaping out of the tree they'd concealed themselves in, leading the way to the akuma.  

Mother Nature, because  _of course_  that was her name, wasn't hard to find - she had begun spreading her plant life near the Seine. The water color itself changed to clear, Chat seeing little fish swimming past. Really, this akuma was doing great things for the water system, she just needed to  _not_ hurt the people of Paris.  

Chat strolled casually into view of Mother Nature, who's beady eyes landed greedily on the black cat. "Looks like we'll have to take you down a stump," he called, trying to keep his eyes from finding Ladybug, who was working her way around the akuma to surprise her.  

"You've had no success so far," she called cheerfully, her voice crisp like the winter breeze. Chat walked playfully in front of her, taunting her. Mother Nature did  _not_ like that. 

"You're all bark and no bite," Chat called happily, still ignoring Ladybug, who was calling for her own lucky charm at this point.  

"I'll show you to respect nature!" she shouted, racing forwards, her vines springing towards Chat Noir quickly. He dodged and spun his baton lazily, trying to keep her focus on him with his nonchalant attitude. Ladybug appeared at his side, which made Mother Nature startle, backing away.  

Chat knew she was going to run away, trying to block her exit as she tried to gain the upper hand once more. Chat looked to Ladybug, who was giving him a frustrated glare, though it was clear she wasn't frustrated with  _him_ so much as the akuma itself.  

The pair followed the akuma along the Seine, waiting for a moment to strike. When Mother Nature made a turn in land, Chat saw something that made him heart freeze. Mother Nature was heading straight towards where Luka, Nino and Adrien were supposed to be meeting up - which clearly Adrien was going to be very late to. 

Mother Nature narrowed her eyes at the building, preparing to shoot her transformation magic at it, but Chat darted in first, reflecting her magic onto an unsuspecting lamp post. Chat gave a quick glance into the café, spotting his boyfriend and best friend huddled inside with the rest of the patrons.  

Chat guarded the building to the best of his ability, but a multiple round of shots got the best of him and a stray blast hit the building, turning it slowly into a large tree. Chat gasped, yelling loudly to everyone inside the building to get out, destroying the doors to free everyone, who quickly escaped.  

Mother Nature fired her rounds once more, targeting the people from inside this time, hitting several people in the process. Chat stood in front of Nino and Luka defiantly, ensuring they wouldn't be hit. The remaining people got the hint, hiding behind Chat calmly. 

Ladybug used this distraction to make use of her lucky charm, successfully binding the akuma and tearing her earrings from her, making Chat sag in relief. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to maintain his protection.  

Chat and Ladybug gave their custom fist bump, smiling in relief to each other. Ladybug looked over his shoulder, spotting Nino and Luka, giving him a confused look. Chat awkwardly smiled, hoping that she wouldn't say anything.  

"You did well, Chat," Ladybug said with a smile, her fatigue clear in her voice. Chat was also extremely tired, that fight had lasted far too long.  

"As did you, my lady."  

She huffed, looking away momentarily, "I think I'll get some rest, you should too, Chat."  

"I will, my lady," he promised with a smile, saying good bye as she bounced off to wherever it was she called home. 

Chat turned to his friends, replacing his exhausted face with a smile, trying to ignore his tiredness for a moment. Chat Noir couldn't afford to show his fatigue to the citizens of Paris, even if said citizens were his boyfriend and best friend.  

"You guys ok?" Chat asked, looking to both boys.  

Nino shrugged, "we didn't get turned into a tree, I'll call that a positive." 

Chat laughed tiredly, "yeah, guess so."  

Luka watched Chat, taking in the tired expression on his face, which Chat was trying to push away. "Are you alright?"  

Well, Chat wasn't expecting  _that_. He laughed awkwardly, looking away, "yeah, yeah, don't worry about me."  

Nino and Luka frowned, looking to each other briefly, "you should get some rest," Luka insisted. 

"Yeah, I will." Chat promised.  

Luka smiled, Chat's stomach filling with tiny butterflies. He may not know who Chat was just yet, but for now, it was nice being his friend in this form too.  

"Why'd you stay?" Nino asked, staring at Chat expectantly. It was common knowledge that Chat and Ladybug didn't stick around after fights, wanting to keep their identities a secret. Chat really only made an exception for Luka, because it was  _Luka_. 

Chat shrugged easily, "wanted to make sure my prince was safe," he replied, causing Luka to look away, red filling his cheeks.  

Nino laughed, "you can't call him that!"  

"Oh?"  

"He's taken, go flirt with someone else."  

Chat pretended to look wounded, "who is this challenger for my Prince's affections?"  

Luka laughed, his eyes bright as he looked at Chat, "go flirt with Ladybug, Chat."  

"Very well, then. Till next time, oh handsome prince," Chat bowed graciously, taking Luka's hand and placing a chaste kiss on it, laughing as Luka's face went bright,  _bright_ red.  

"What about me?" Nino asked, laughing.  

Chat grinned, "till we meet again, dear knight."  

"I'll take it," Nino grinned, waving when Chat darted off.  

Chat Noir felt his own blush as he entered an alleyway, letting Plagg out of his ring. Plagg glared at him, taking residence in his bag tiredly, consuming what little cheese the blonde still carried with him.  

Adrien checked his phone as he walked back to the café he was just at, spotting Nino and Luka exactly where he'd left them. He remembered that he was supposed to have no recollection of the events, he wasn't supposed to know what they'd just seen. He'd been turned into a tree.  

Nino waved to Adrien when he caught sight of him, Luka turning to give him a wide grin, one that had Adrien's stomach doing flips. Luka might give Chat beautiful smiles, but Adrien got the _full_ treatment. He was incredibly lucky to call Luka his boyfriend.  

"What I miss?" Adrien asked as he joined his friends, wrapping an arm around Luka in greeting, giving Nino a quick fist bump before he hugged Luka properly.  

Nino shrugged, "nearly got ourselves turned into a tree," he said casually. 

"A tree? Was that what I was?" Adrien asked, scratching his head thoughtfully.  

Luka laughed, "of course  _you'd_ become a tree."  

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adrien asked, faking hurt.  

Luka grinned, "you  _always_ seem to be caught in the cross fire." 

"What can I say, I'm incredibly unlucky."  

Nino beamed, looking to Luka for a moment, before blurting, "Chat Noir was totally flirting with Luka." 

Adrien turned a surprised expression to Luka, who had flushed scarlet once more. Adrien grinned, poking at him with the hand that wasn't wrapped around his waist. "I hope you told him no?" 

"He's not really my type," Luka said playfully. Adrien should have felt offended - he _was_ Chat Noir - but instead, he felt love. It was odd, but perhaps it had something to do with loyalty? That Luka was dedicated to Adrien? He trusted Luka immensely, there was _no way_  he would cheat on him, Adrien knew that, but at least the possibility wasn't even there.  

"Who is your type?" Adrien asked playfully, poking at Luka's chest.  

Luka turned his head stubbornly, a smile on his lips. "Not telling," he said, his tone both happy and playful.  

"Can I guess?" Adrien asked.  

Nino coughed in the background, but both Luka and Adrien ignored him. "I bet I could guess yours," Luka suggested.  

"Doubt it," Adrien scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"Hmm, Nino?" Luka asked, looking to Nino, who's eyes bugged out of his head.  

"Hope not," Nino laughed.  

"Nope, sorry buddy." Adrien grinned at his best friend. 

"Ladybug?" Luka said instead.  

Adrien grinned, shaking his head. "Told you, you'll never guess." 

Luka sighed dramatically, "is it me?" he tried to play sad, but the shine in his eyes was too much of a giveaway. 

"Bingo," Adrien agreed, leaning in closer, staring straight into Luka's bright eyes.  

Luka beamed, "what's my prize?" 

Adrien hummed for a moment, contemplating a response, but instead, he just pressed their lips together, holding him close. Luka's response was quick, grasping at Adrien's back and trying to bring him closer.  

Nino coughed again, crossing his arms as the boys broke apart, blushes filling their cheeks as they stood awkwardly in front of their friend. "Do you guys have to do that in public?"  

"Oh, come on, like you and Alya don't," Adrien said dramatically.  

"Fine, fine." Nino grumbled.  

Luka laughed, breaking away from Adrien, instantly missing the heat, pulling them into the café. Adrien felt his phone go off in his pocket, but he chose to ignore it, in favor of hanging out with his friends.  

Inside the café, none of the customers seemed to care that Luka and Adrien were so  _clearly_ dating, what with how they were seated, holding hands above the table. Adrien wasn't one for PDA, but he also just wanted to be with Luka, his lifestyle seriously cut time with his boyfriend short, so he made the most of it whenever he was allowed to.  

With their orders came a flirtatious waitress, who had apparently  _missed_ the memo, Luka sending her subtle glares as she flushed with Adrien's words, trying to strike up conversation with him. Adrien felt uncomfortable, it was pretty obvious he wasn't taking the bait, he didn't want his boyfriend to feel like he was going to go off with someone else either.  

She eventually left, taking their orders to the counter to be prepared, Luka scowling, Nino also glaring, whilst Adrien just felt embarrassed, but also awkward and upset. Luka's hand left Adrien's, choosing instead to wrap around his waist, pulling his chair closer.  

"She is either blind, or she just doesn't care," Nino commented, shaking his head.  

Adrien looked at the table, "sorry, guys." 

"What are you apologizing for?" Luka asked in total confusion.  

He wasn't entirely sure, he just knew he needed to apologize. He wasn't the type to cheat, he would _never_ go for the waitress over his perfect boyfriend, but he was also insecure, he wasn't sure if Luka knew that. Something in his brain told him that,  _yes_ , Luka trusted him. Luka knew he wasn't about to leap at the chance to date a woman, even if it might make his life that much easier. Maybe that was it? He was concerned because the flirter had been a woman?  

Luka's hand rubbed a small circle onto Adrien's side comfortingly, "you shouldn't feel bad, Adrien. I know you wouldn't leave me for her, at the very least."  

Adrien smiled softly, "yeah, well, I could have told her no?" 

"People like that wouldn't have listened. Don't worry, I'm not."  

Nino decided to change the subject, sensing it could turn incredibly sour very quickly. Adrien's issues were his own, he knew Luka had troubles of his own, it was what made their relationship complicated, but they were working through it. They didn't need to focus on said problems in the middle of a populated cafe.  

Adrien felt his phone buzz again, choosing to once more ignore it. If it was his father, he would just have to wait - he did it often enough to Adrien.  

"Alya's going to yell at me for not taking a photo of Chat before," Nino said, trying to sound upset but failing.  

"She'll just have to catch them next time," Adrien suggested.  

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one dating her."  

"No, you're right." Adrien agreed.  

Luka frowned, "what's the problem?"  

"Alya runs the Ladyblog," Adrien explained.  

Luka nodded, his expression still lost. "So?" 

Adrien rolled his eyes, looking to Nino for help, "she likes exclusives, even if she herself can't get them." 

Luka still stared blankly, "what's it has to do with you?"  

Adrien and Nino stared at each other briefly, trying to work out the best way to explain it to the dip dyed teen. "She's trying to work out their identities, but she's finding it a bit hard lately, given that neither of the heroes have actually hung back to talk to her. Of course, they hung around to talk to  _us_ today, so Alya's gonna be irritated that I didn't make use of it."  

"Ah, she's an opportunist." Luka said, nodding. 

Adrien smiled, "she just wants to know who Ladybug is, I don't think she really cares about Chat."  

"But without Chat, there would be no Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Luka commented. Perhaps he did like the black cat, that would be nice. There weren't many in Paris who would prefer the black cat over the lady in red, given the nature of his powers against hers.  

"Ladybug's cooler though," Adrien said.  

Luka bumped Adrien's shoulder at the comment, Nino laughing to himself, clearly remembering all the Ladybug posters in Adrien's room. He wasn't ashamed of his crush on the bug, she was in the hearts of most of Paris. He knew she wasn't the one for him, they were just good friends and partners.  

"Chat's alright too," Luka agreed.  

"I think they're both awesome," Nino rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with the choice of topic. All three laughed, enjoying the moment with the company. Adrien himself admitted that Ladybug was definitely the better half of the team, but she did need his help. He wished he could offer more than just a distraction, but that part was necessary also.  

Their drinks arrived with the same flirtatious waitress, who slipped Adrien a napkin with her number on it. Adrien chose to ignore the napkin and instead thanked her for her drinks, which brought a frown onto her face.  

Adrien awkwardly took a sip of his drink, pushing the napkin away from him when the waitress wasn't looking, sending a small apologetic look to his boyfriend, who just grinned.  

"Popular, aren't you?"  

Adrien flushed, "I guess I am a model," he mumbled.  

Luka had a small blush on his cheeks, which made Adrien confused given that he hadn't  _said_ anything that would bring about such a reaction. Nino noticed too, staring at the dip dyed teen. "You are beautiful."  

It shouldn't have surprised Adrien as much as it did, but he felt even his ears turning red at the comment. "I -- so are you?"  

Luka laughed, "I can't believe you're surprised. Nino?"  

Nino nodded, "he's right, Adrien. You are beautiful."  

Adrien ducked his head, trying to hide his face, but Luka lifted his head back up, "accept it, Adrien." 

"I mean - ok, thank you." 

"There, was that so hard?" Luka asked, as though scolding a child.  

Adrien tried to lessen the red on his face, tried to make himself feel cooler, but it was a terrible failure. He knew, obviously, that he was good looking - how else was he supposed to become a model, even if his father owned the company? He'd  _never_ been called  _beautiful_ before. That was a new one.  

There was something majestic about the word that Adrien liked, he liked hearing it from his boyfriend. He'd called Luka beautiful several times (in his head) but he never  _dreamed_ that he'd be called it himself. It made his heart melt just a little.  

Adrien's drink was appetizing, distracting himself from his amazing friends. He'd only just managed to finish the refreshing drink when a crash was heard from inside the kitchens, followed by another thud, the doors swinging open and a girl walking calmly out.  

The girl, clearly an akuma, was also recognizably the waitress who'd been flirting with Adrien. She was now a strange pink color, playing card symbols poker dotted through her strange costume. She jumped onto the counter, staring at the frozen people around the shops.  

Two akumas in one day? Couldn't Adrien catch a break? 

"I am Table Hearts! I am here to ensure everyone finds their perfect match, just as I will have mine," the last part of her motivational speech was directed to Adrien, who frowned, feeling Luka stiffen at his side. 

Before anyone could react, Table Hearts shot her blasts at several customers, which had them trapped in her magic, pushed together into random couples at different tables. She walked swiftly to Adrien, wrenching him from Luka's grip and chucking him over her shoulder.  

She left the cafe swiftly, leaving both Nino and Luka untouched. Adrien felt himself being carried across the city with alarming speed, not even sure how such an akuma moved so quickly - she didn't have a mode of transport and her powers were to push people onto impromptu dates.  

Table Hearts was taking a tour around the city, going to major tourist spots and ensuring every person had a match. She was dedicated, Adrien had to hand it to her. He just really needed to get out of there, he needed to help Ladybug.  

Speaking of, the red superhero bounded into view, catching Adrien's eye with surprise in her own. She blocked Table Hearts' movements, causing her to anger and hold onto Adrien tighter, which was almost painful. He coughed, feeling the breath knocked from his lungs in the crushing hold, Table Hearts not noticing.  

Thankfully, Ladybug did, and shot her yoyo at the akuma, breaking her concentration from Adrien and wrenching him from her. Adrien soon found himself in the strong arms of Ladybug, in a cradle hold - a pleasant change from being over the akumas shoulder - running from the akuma.  

"What is it with you and akumas?" She asked, the concentration clear in her voice as she navigated her way to a safe spot.  

Adrien gave a short, false laugh. "I'm just very lovable," he said, trying to add humor, but the situation causing it to fall short.  

Ladybug huffed and placed Adrien into an alley, bounding back onto the scene. Adrien waited until she was positively out of sight before calling forth Plagg, who groaned.  

"Not  _another_ one," the kwami groaned, irritation clear in his voice.  

Adrien ignored the kwami and transformed quickly, running in the direction he'd seen Ladybug run off to.  

Table Hearts wasn't hard to find, she wanted to be in plain sight. She wanted to get Ladybug and Chat Noir to go on their own impromptu date, that much became clear when she shouted it at the two. Ladybug and Chat both sent each other amused smiles. 

It would have been Chat's dream, too, if he hadn't realized his love for Luka was real, his love for Ladybug only in friendship. Don't get him wrong, he  _loved_ Ladybug, just not romantically. He was sure she loved him also, just not enough.  

Table Hearts was easy to defeat, once Ladybug had called for her lucky charm. They gave a fist bump, helping the victim up, even as Chat was a little awkward next to her. Ladybug noticed, of course she did, shooting him a confused look.  

Chat shrugged as they walked away from the waitress, "Adrien told me what happened," he said instead of 'she's the woman who wanted to flirt with me even though I was clearly with my boyfriend'.  

Ladybug nodded, "he's been in a bit of strife lately, even with his own boyfriend."  

Chat stared at her blankly, "what?"  

"Luka, he was Caged Justice - you never showed up though," she said thoughtfully, staring at Chat. 

"Oh, I was busy," he mumbled.  

"Yeah, anyway. Poor Adrien got stuck at the Eifel tower because of Luka."  

"That sucks," Chat tried to make his voice light, but he could hear his own stutters.  

She smiled, "Luka's a good guy." 

"Yeah?"  

"You can't say you haven't noticed, I see you look after him during fights, and stay back to talk to him."  

"I mean, yeah, I guess I do that, don't I?" Chat muttered, he wasn't even surprised that Ladybug had picked that up, he wasn't exactly subtle about it. He wasn't about to let any harm to his beloved Luka.  

Ladybug smiled gently, "you like him, don't you Chat?" 

He wanted to deny it, but the blush that lit his features was a dead giveaway, so he chose to go with no response.  

She nodded, "it's ok, I'm not upset Chat. I will be upset if you make a move, he's already dating someone, and they make each other very happy."  

"I wouldn't - I would never, my lady," he stumbled. 

"I know, I just feel protective -- for no apparent reason," she finished quickly, looking away. Chat stared at her a moment too long and she decided to leave abruptly, fleeing the scene. Chat laughed, rolling his eyes as he swung into an alley near where his two friends were. He should have been more worried about Ladybug's words, but she was incredibly observant, and she may even know Luka outside of her mask. It wouldn't really surprise him, given what she'd known in the first place. Luka wasn't about to talk to Ladybug about such things, not when Chat was the one who talked to him anyway.  

Adrien walked back to his friends quickly, both looking around worriedly, only relaxing when they spotted Adrien walking towards them. Luka ran up to him, taking him into a big hug that left Adrien feeling warm and content.  

"You're ok," Luka breathed into his neck. 

Adrien smiled, rubbing gentle circles onto his back, "yeah, Ladybug came to my rescue," he replied, giving Nino a quick smile. Nino replied with a nod, clearly less stressed then Luka, but relieved none the less.  

"I'm glad," Luka admitted, still with his head against Adrien's shoulder.  

When Luka pulled away, they both felt Adrien's phone chime again in his bag. Adrien sighed, seeing the expectant look on Luka's face. He pulled his phone out, checking what the messages were.  

What he found made his face go white, his hands shake and his heart stop.  

What he found was a text from an unknown number, two pictures attached and a message.  

The message read:  

 

> These look familiar? 

The images were two  _different_ times Luka and Adrien had kissed in semi public areas, one from earlier this afternoon, the other the first time they'd been out together.  

Adrien dropped his phone. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone calls, hugs and love.

Luka reacted instantly, catching the phone not a second before it would have hit the ground. Adrien stared at the ground in shock, not trusting any part of his body to form a word. Luka glanced at the phone quickly, freezing when he saw what was on it that had made Adrien so irresponsive. Nino took a moment to catch up as Luka handed the phone to him numbly, opting to instead to wrap a hand around his boyfriend. 

Adrien crumpled into Luka the moment he wrapped an arm around him, Luka rubbing small circles into his neck with his thumb. Adrien blinked numbly, holding himself up only just, the ground looking like a much more appealing option. 

Nino held the phone, but Adrien didn't care. He just continued to stare at the ground, waiting for it to swallow him, to show him any form of mercy. Someone had his number, someone had seen them. 

Someone was stalking him. 

That wasn't something  _anyone_ would take lightly, let alone someone with a secret identity and a secret boyfriend - not that he was trying to keep Luka a secret from anyone but his father. 

Luka cradled Adrien carefully, almost as though he was afraid Adrien might break. It was too late for that, Adrien was gone. He was lost, his mind trying to focus on something, coming up blank. All he could focus on were the warm arms around him, trying to ground himself. 

"We should get him some place safe," Nino said, looking around at the passerbys, who hadn't really taken any notice of the three boys. Yet. 

Luka nodded, saying something to Nino that Adrien didn't catch. Adrien felt Luka prepare to move, bringing him with him. Adrien followed, still lost in a daze, his limbs moving only from muscle memory. Luka guided them to a familiar place, his own house, located conveniently near the cafe they'd been at. 

On board, they steered him below deck, helping Adrien down the stairs carefully. Adrien found himself on Luka's comfortable sheets, Luka's arms still wrapped around him as they sat together, Nino watching Adrien with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Come on, dude, you've got to relax," Nino said softly, passing Luka the phone cautiously. 

Luka accepted the phone smoothly, still rubbing Adrien's shoulders. Adrien's head lolled against Luka's shoulder, mouth open, staring at the sheets on the bed. He looked attractive, truly. Luka thankfully didn't comment, not that Adrien was in any place to say anything smart. 

Everyone went silent when Adrien's phone rang. Checking the number, Adrien's stomach flipped when he realized it was the  _same_ number. It belonged to whoever had sent the photos. His stalker was calling him. 

His  _stalker_ was  _calling_ him. 

Adrien panicked, hitting the answer button, hearing nothing at the other end. He tried to form a 'hello' but it sounded more like how a cat might try to say 'hoo?' and even still managed to fail at sounding like that. 

"Ah, Adrien, long time no talk." 

Adrien's blood ran cold, freezing in his veins. He knew that voice. 

He  _knew_ that voice.

It was the voice of Duval Kerman, one of Adrien's father's photographers. He'd been a long-time employee, done several of Adrien's own at the start, until he'd been fired several months ago. Adrien didn't know the details, Gabriel never told him details, only that he'd been fired. Adrien had been surprised he hadn't been akumatised, given the circumstances of his employment. 

"What, no 'hello old friend?' Where  _are_ your manners?" Duval asked, voice deliberating,  _playing_ with him. Duval was playing with him. He was  _enjoying_ this. The thought made Adrien shiver. 

"What do you want?" Adrien tried to sound firm, tried to sound strong, but it came out like barely audible mush. He wanted to be strong, he wished he could. But this was something he wasn't able to control. 

"Oh, just to make your life miserable."

Adrien grimaced, looking briefly to Luka, who hadn't left his side through the entire ordeal, then to Nino, who was glaring at the phone. He was thankful he had them both, if he didn't and Duval had called him, he'd probably be a useless puddle on the floor. Instead, he was a useless rock in Luka's arms. 

"Why?" Adrien asked, trying to keep the shaking in his voice to a minimum. 

Duval's voice rose several octaves, "why?  _Why_? Because your  _father_ ruined my life! So, I'm going to ruin  _his_!" 

"How is ruining my life supposed to ruin his?" Adrien asked, gaining his voice back, trying to stand up for himself. 

Duval tutted him, as though a parent would to their child, "oh, Adrien, dear sweet,  _innocent_ Adrien. How do you think dear Gabriel Agreste would react, finding out his only son was not only friends with a novice guitarist, oh ho, but dating one? Not to mention, his son was dating a boy." 

Adrien knew his father would react poorly. Being allowed to see Luka as a friend was hard enough, his father would never accept that Adrien was in love with him. He just didn't understand it. He would lose Luka because of it. Duval was prepared to break Adrien's heart for his own sick amusement. 

"Haven't you wondered how your father has always  _known_ what you've been up to?" Duval asked when he acknowledged that Adrien would not, in fact, be saying anything. 

"It was you?" Adrien asked, voice dull, numb. He'd known something was up, how could his father have known exactly where he'd been, just from casually seeing it over social media? Then there was the photo of the two together that had sparked an enormous feud, had caused Luka to become an akuma. It made sense, in some cruel way, that Duval had been feeding Gabriel with pieces of information to ruin his son's life. How did that help with his revenge though?

Duval laughed gleefully, Adrien looking up at Nino and Luka, who both had disgusted looks on their faces. "All me! Every part of it," he cheered, "I want you to be miserable, Adrien. As miserable as I am - your father has made it impossible for me to find any employment that isn't cleaning out toilets." 

"How is that my fault?" Adrien demanded, finally finding his voice. 

Duval scoffed, "oh, I know it's not  _you_ in particular, however, your sorrow is an extra bonus for me. My real goal is to see your beautiful romance  _tear_ your father apart."

Adrien wasn't sure why he was still arguing with the maniac, there was no way for Duval to see sense now, he was too far gone. "You can't - please!" Adrien begged, feeling Luka's arm tense at his shoulder. Adrien glanced up, seeing the tick in his boyfriend's jaw. Nino also appeared to be glaring furiously at the phone. 

"Hmm, too late." 

Adrien hung his head, knowing Duval had sent the photos to his father. Luka's arms tightened around his shoulder, Nino jumping onto the bed and laying a gentle hand onto Adrien's knee. 

"Oh, and Adrien? If you breathe a word of this to the police, I'll share  _this_ photo." Adrien didn't need to open the photo - he knew what it would be. If Duval had been as thorough as he thought, he would have seen Adrien become Chat at least  _once_. 

"Have a good day, Adrien!" He sang as he hung up, Adrien collapsing completely into the safety of his two-favorite people. 

Luka and Nino shared a glance, one that Adrien missed, because he was too invested with resting his head into Luka's lap, curling himself on the bed with his friends. Nino didn't seem to mind being Adrien's foot rest, Luka cradling his head. 

"That guy was messed up," Nino said finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 

Adrien agreed, but he couldn't form any words that would help the situation. Instead, Luka talked, his voice grounding the blonde, as it always did. 

"We'll work it out, Adrien. You aren't alone." 

The promise in his voice made Adrien's heart flutter. No, he wasn't alone. Not anymore. But he would be, soon, his father would break all outside contact. He'd become a recluse. He'd in time forget what it meant to be happy, what it meant to feel  _loved_. How it felt to be in Luka's arms, to have Nino's laughter around him. How it felt surrounded by his friends. He'd never get to experience it again, thanks to Duval.

Adrien's phone chimed and he opened it on pure instinct, expecting a text from his father, but instead feeling more dread as he read the text from Duval. 

> Hope you don't mind, I sent it to the press too ;)

How - how could he  _not_ mind? He minded - he minded  _a lot_. If Duval didn't know his secret identity, he'd be in jail. He couldn't work around that, it was too dangerous for Hawkmoth to know who he was. He couldn't risk him targeting his friends, targeting Luka. 

"That guy thinks he's done everyone a favor," Nino muttered angrily. 

"It is good revenge though," Adrien mumbled, playing with a thread on Luka's jeans. 

"I fail to see the 'good' part here?" Luka said, voice grumbly and upset. That was fair, Luka was going to suffer from this too - if it leaked to the press, he'd be bullied again, for having a boyfriend, he'd be laughed at. Luka would probably never want to see him again. 

"He's going to make my father look like a fool, his perfect, model son with a musician boyfriend. He'll be the laughing stock of the fashion world." 

Adrien felt close to tears at this point, he was about to lose both his father and his boyfriend, of course he would be upset. Luka wouldn't want to stay with someone who'd never see daylight again, and his father would never talk to him again. 

Luka's hand ran through Adrien's hair, soothing him for a moment. Luka's eyes were sad, something they should never be. Adrien hated the sadness in his beautiful face. 

"I'm not ready to lose you," Adrien said, staring into Luka's wide, surprised eyes. 

"Who said you'd lose me?"

Adrien looked away, "I'm never leaving my house again. I won't be allowed my phone, I won't be allowed to do anything, Luka. You deserve someone who doesn't have to hide. Someone you can spend time with." 

He wished it could be him, he loved Luka so much it hurt, but there was no way Luka deserved this. He needed someone who could be there for him, just as he was for everyone else. He deserved the best. 

"If you think I'll be able to find anyone better then you, you've got another thing coming." Luka's voice was firm, surprising Adrien. "Your father can't keep you locked away forever Adrien. You know there's a home here for you, Nino would too, I predict," if the nod Nino gave was any indication, Adrien was welcome there. 

He could never leave his father though. He was all he had left of his family. Regardless of how unimportant Adrien may be to his father, he was a child, and a child needed his father. He couldn't choose between his boyfriend and his father, much as he couldn't choose between his best friend and his boyfriend. They meant too much to him, he couldn't bear to lose anyone. 

Adrien's eyes swelled with tears, Luka's finger dropping to wipe them away. "I love you, so much, Luka." 

Luka smiled gently, "I know, Adrien. I don't think I've ever loved anyone more, don't think I ever could," he said softly, fingers curling gently around Adrien's face. 

Nino coughed awkwardly, breaking the moment the lovers were having. Adrien stared at him, a smile breaking through his features. "I love you too, Adrien. Not in a romantic sense, obviously I love Alya." 

Adrien gave a small laugh, "yeah, Nino, I love you as well, don't worry. Alya's safe."

All three gave a small, quiet laugh at the moment, trying to lighten the mood. It was still upsetting, Adrien was going to be grounded, he was going to be taken out of school, there was no doubt about that. But he had options, he had a boyfriend and a best friend who refused to leave him. That would be enough to get through whatever his father could throw at him. 

"Guess I should head home, right?" as he said it, his phone buzzed, an incoming call from his own father. Adrien hesitated, pressing accept gingerly. 

"Hello, father?" Adrien asked softly, sitting up and sandwiching himself between Nino and Luka, both happy to accompany his wishes. 

"Adrien." Yes, that was still his name. Gabriel was cross, if the underlying note to his monotone voice was any judgement. 

"Father?"

"You are to come home immediately." 

He'd expected it, but he still froze. He couldn't argue with his father, not in that tone. Not with how stretched it sounded, trying not to yell. It was terrifying. 

"Of course, father," he said, hearing the line go dead at his words. Adrien sighed, dropping the phone into his lap, body going limp. This was it, his father was finally going to get what he wanted. Adrien would go back to his previous, solitary life, under his father's complete control. 

"It'll work out," Luka said softly, brushing a small kiss onto Adrien's forehead. 

Maybe, he thought, but not for a while. He wondered - not for the first time - if it was possible for Chat Noir to become akumatised. He had enough negative emotions to feed an entire army. 

"I better head home," Adrien said, trying to stand, his knees collapsing under him. Luka caught him easily, supporting him as they stood. Nino offered Adrien a sad smile as he too helped Adrien to stand. 

Before they made their way on deck, Nino caught Luka's look and darted up, giving the couple some privacy. Adrien looked at Luka sadly, still seeking comfort in his strong arms. Luka brushed a strand of Adrien's hair out of his eyes with a small, sad smile. 

"This is not a good bye, Adrien." 

The strength to his voice, the power of his belief, it was enough for Adrien to wish, to try. He needed to stay strong, he'd managed to do just fine all his life, he could survive a little longer under his father's control. 

"No, it's just good by till next time," Adrien agreed, finally finding his legs, standing up straight. 

Luka's smile was bright, infectious, the happiness in Adrien's new-found confidence radiating onto Adrien himself. There were no words that could be spoken, not now, so instead Luka kissed Adrien, tracing his lips, Adrien imprinting the image into his mind. This would be his last kiss for some time, he'd be a fool not to make the most of it. 

So that's exactly what he did, he felt himself pushed back into the wall, Luka's arms trapping him in, Adrien's own arms wrapping around his boyfriend, pulling him closer. The heat from their bodies setting a fire through Adrien's blood, his nerves tingling, body energized. How was it possible for anyone to feel so good? For someone to do this to  _him_. 

When they pulled back, they were breathless, but satisfied. That was the best goodbye kiss they could have asked for. Adrien gripped onto Luka's hand, dragging him above board. Nino was seated on a box, talking to Rose and Juleka - more Rose, Juleka was just sitting there with her hand in Rose's. 

They caught sight of the boys and waved, Juleka giving her brother a significant once over, as though trying to determine the damage Adrien had done to him. Adrien walked over to them awkwardly, giving a smile to Nino, who gave him a knowing smirk. Some best friend he was.

Rose hopped up, releasing Juleka, and hugged Adrien, ripping him from Luka's grasp. Adrien gasped at the sudden hug but accepted it none the less. She pulled back, looking at him with sad eyes. 

"The photos have already gone viral," Nino said, which was clearly why Rose and Juleka had come home so early, they wanted to check on Luka. Which was fine, he was going to be affected by this too, given his history.

Luka glanced to Adrien briefly, "that was quick," he remarked, trying to keep the panic from his voice.

"Guess I am famous," Adrien said uneasily. 

"They're cute photos at least," Rose said happily, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. Adrien could see the concern in her eyes, she wasn't fooling everyone, especially not Juleka, who wrapped an arm around her carefully. 

Adrien turned to Luka, "I'm so sorry, I never wanted you to get dragged through this too. It's my fault."

Luka's eyes widened in surprise, "don't you get it already? I love you - whether that means everyone in Paris knows, I'm just going to accept that I'm dating on of the best people in Paris and people will have to get over their jealousy."

His words lifted Adrien's spirits, he didn't want Luka feeling alone, especially not now. He needed Luka to know they were in this together, even if Luka would be the one dealing with the public, given his school situation. Adrien would be locked in his room, he wouldn't have to know what people were doing.

Juleka looked to Adrien, seeing his stricken expression and softening her own, "we'll look after him, Adrien," she promised.

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least Luka could have company, he had a support network. "I should, I should go. Thank you," he said to Juleka, who nodded. 

Luka gave him a hug before he left the ship, giving Nino a fist bump and a quick shoulder hug, then leaving. He needed to move fast, he'd already wasted enough time as it was. He'd told his father he would be home immediately. 

Adrien pushed his walk, taking short cuts to get home. He did his best to ignore the stares, the points, the whispers. People were gawking at him, like some zoo animal. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence in Paris, having same sex couples. It shouldn't have mattered to everyone as much as it did. 

It was an odd feeling, being stared at with any expression that wasn't adoration. He was in no way ashamed of Luka, he loved him with all his heart, he was upset by how the stares made him feel, like he  _should_ be ashamed of his loving boyfriend. People needed to open their eyes, the world was changing. Adrien was allowed to love Luka, just as much as the next person. 

He got too that some of the stares were jealous, they were jealous they weren't the ones with Adrien, he couldn't help that. He was aware he was objectified as a model, people appreciated his looks. He was more than just good looks, however, so he'd never date some random fan, not unless he really got to know them first. 

Adrien reached his house, hesitating as he went to open the door. He knew what waited for him inside, he dreaded it, but he accepted it. Time to face the music.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien asks for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, back again :) Chapter is kinda short, but it would have been WAY too long otherwise, so I just had to cut the scene, sorry! You'll get another update tomorrow, as per usual over the week :)

Nathalie was standing next to Gabriel when Adrien entered the foyer, both pairs of eyes transfixed on the tablet in front of them, glaring at the images. Adrien swallowed nervously, walking forwards, feeling his father look up and place his eyes on him instead. 

Gabriel walked forwards, saying something to Nathalie quietly, squaring up in front of his son. The cold, hard eyes told the young boy everything he needed to know.

"I allow you to be friends with someone so clearly out of your level, and this is how you thank me?" His voice was cool, calm, angry. Terrifying. 

"Father – please, just because he's a boy -" he didn't even get a chance to finish his words before his father was cutting him on. 

"I do not have a problem with you dating a boy, Adrien. I have a problem with you dating  _that_  boy." Well, that was a surprise. 

Adrien's mouth hung open for a moment, staring at his father in utter surprise, "he's amazing father, and I love him," he said firmly, proudly. 

"He's not good for you, Adrien."

"What do you know about who's  _good_  for me?" Adrien demanded, voice rising. He wasn't expecting this conversation to go this way, he thought there would be less arguing, just Gabriel announcing the consequences. In a way, this was worse. 

Gabriel's gaze hardened, his posture straightening. Adrien swallowed nervously, this would be the decider, "you are an  _Agreste,_  Adrien. There are certain standards that you have to follow, and this  _boy_  doesn't suit." 

The way he'd said 'boy' made Adrien recoil, like he didn't view Luka as a person, more of a child who'd spat in his food. Luka was more than that, but he didn't know how to make his father understand. 

"You will thank me for this Adrien, you'll see." 

"How can I thank you for taking away someone who makes me happy, makes me feel  _loved_?" Because that was something his father  _never_  made him feel, and he hated that.

"You won't be happy when he leaves you for uni, he's only using you Adrien. People like him only want our money, or our fame." 

"He's not like that! You don’t know him, father," Adrien defended, feeling an overwhelming sensation of sadness flood through his body, bringing tears to his eyes, which he blinked away rapidly. His father would  _not_  have the satisfaction of seeing his son cry over Luka.

"I know enough, Adrien. You will not continue this foolish infatuation with the boy. This decision is final, Adrien. I will not hear another word on this subject. You are dismissed." 

Adrien hung his head miserably, the tears he'd held back rushing back to his eyes. He'd known this would happen, he'd  _known_  his father would  _never_  approve of his boyfriend, but he'd had hope. Of course, he'd had hope. He wanted to believe his father wasn't truly  _that_  heartless. He was capable of showing his son love, or at least  _letting_  him love. Letting his son feel happiness with whoever he chose. 

He supposed his father's perfect idea of a partner was Chloe Bourgeois. She was a friend, at least, even if she did have strange ways of showing it. 

As soon as he was back in the safety of his room, he threw himself onto his bed, feeling an overwhelming sense of hurt, anguish,  _bitterness_. He wasn't surprised, that was one emotion he wasn't, because his father had never been the type of person to let Adrien make his own decisions, he'd always had complete control over his life. Being in school, making friends, Adrien  _knew_  it was difficult for his father to stand, but Luka was the last straw. 

He pulled out his phone, seeing a couple messages from both Luka and Nino, but he ignored them. He dialed his boyfriends number, desperately needing to hear his voice, even if it would be the last time, his father would soon work out he still had his phone and would confiscate that too. 

Luka answered on the second ring, voice sending calming shivers through Adrien's skin, "you ok?"

"Yeah – yeah, I'm not allowed to see you ever again, but it could be worse right?" 

Luka paused for a moment on the other line, "was he, was it because I'm a guy?" 

Adrien shook his head, then remembered his boyfriend wasn't able to see him, so he said, "no, that part he was fine with, for some reason." 

"That comes as a surprise," Luka commented. 

"Yeah, I know." Adrien agreed, because it had come as a surprise. He'd never really talked to his father on the matter, obviously, but he'd always just assumed his father to be a traditionalist on the matter. In a way, he was, given his strong opinions on who was acceptable for him, at least that didn't encompass gender also. 

"He thinks you'll abandon me when you go off to uni, leave me here, take all my money, stuff like that." 

Luka huffed out a short laugh at the absurdity of the words, "well, they're all reasonable concerns." 

"You're not like that," Adrien said softly. 

"No, no I'm not. You could be living on the streets and I'd still love you just as much," Luka agreed, a smile in his voice. Adrien couldn't help his own smile forming on his face, the intense feelings of sadness softly drifting. 

" _I_  know that, try telling a brick wall that." 

"It'll be ok, Adrien."

"I don't know how you can think that, we'll  _never_  be able to see each other again. Even if we managed to meet up, someone'll see us," that someone being Adrien's stalker, Duval, the creep. His revenge didn't seem to be working as planned, so far Gabriel wasn't defaced and Adrien's life was miserable. At least half his plan had worked out. 

"We'll be ok, Adrien. I'm not giving up on you." Luka promised.

"I'm not giving up on you either. I refuse to let this be the end of us." 

"Good, I still have to teach you the violin." 

Adrien let out a surprised laugh, which was a shock to both him and Luka. "I look forwards to it," he said lightly. 

"Good to hear you laugh," Luka said softly, Adrien hearing his relieved sigh down the phone. 

"How can I stay upset when I'm talking to you?" 

"Mm, the great Adrien Agreste, wrapped around my little finger, my goal is complete." 

"You succeeded when we first met."

There was a silence on the other end of the line, Adrien sure his boyfriend was blushing. "Maybe don't tell your father that," he said after a while, voice clearly telling Adrien he was still flustered.

"Yeah, maybe not." 

They stayed on the phone for a while after that, chatting about anything and everything. It was nice for Adrien to just be able to talk to Luka, to forget that they wouldn't be able to see each other, not until his father accepted him – or he ran away. The second option seemed likely, but that was his frustration talking, he loved his father, even if that meant accepting his harsh punishments. 

When Luka got called for tea, Adrien had to say goodbye, hanging up on his boyfriend after a two-hour phone call. He was surprised that he hadn't been interrupted, what with his recent punishment and all to not have contact with Luka, his father really should have confiscated his phone. 

Instead of worrying, he was grateful he had his phone, because he used it to call Chloe, who answered after the third ring, her usual high pitch voice greeting Adrien, but with a sour note to it. Adrien supposed he probably deserved that. 

"Hey, Chloe," he said, wincing at how weak his voice sounded even to his own ears. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Adrien? Didn't our friendship mean anything to you? You wanted me to find out through the tabloids?" She demanded on the other end. 

Adrien knew she'd be upset, but he wouldn't have called her if he didn't see the worth in it. He pushed aside his own doubt, she was his friend, he believed that – even when she showed it in the strangest ways. "I need your help," he said finally.

Chloe paused, clearly wanting to rant some more, her angry huff evidence of this. "You should have told me." 

"I wanted to, I just wasn't sure how you'd react," he said softly, honestly. 

She huffed in annoyance on the other end of the line, "if you were worried I'd try to break you up, you're not as smart as I thought you were." 

"I wasn't worried about that, necessarily," he really hadn't even thought of that, the only one who'd crossed his mind to try was Gabriel, but he had yet to succeed. He'd just been concerned that Chloe would be jealous, or she'd be angry with Luka, or completely against Adrien dating a boy. 

"Look, if he makes you happy, that's really all that matters," she said gruffly, as though the words tortured her lunges to produce. 

Adrien gave a short, relieved laugh, "he does, he  _really_  does." 

"I'm glad you've got someone, Adrien," she said softly. Adrien was hit with memories of them as kids, when he and Chloe would play together at her father's hotel, when it was just the two of them and they were able to enjoy each other's company. That was before Chloe had met Sabrina, but she was the best thing to ever happen to Chloe, she made her happy, she helped her, in ways Adrien never could have. Sabrina put up with Chloe's behavior, but Chloe didn't treat her poorly, not all the time. Adrien knew, when they were alone, they were good for each other. Adrien was glad she managed to find at least one friend. 

"Thank you, Chloe, that means a lot to me." 

"Yes, well, I'm still hoping to be the rebound," she said, almost in a joking manner, though there was an element of truth to it – everyone knew Chloe wanted to date Adrien, that wasn't a secret. 

"Anyway, I need your help," Adrien said, remembering why he'd called her in the first place. 

She paused, "I'm not sure how I could help?" 

"Your father is the Mayor of Paris, Chloe, you can help." 

"Alright, I'm interested." 

Adrien grinned, "you're amazing," he waited a moment, hearing her wave him off happily. He did need her help, much as it pained him to admit, he wasn't going to be able to do this on his own, not when he wasn't allowed to see Luka. Chloe was the mayor's daughter though, she would definitely have some influence here. 

"I need you to make sure people leave Luka alone, he shouldn't have been dragged through this with me," Adrien finally said. 

"I'm not sure how I can help," she said slowly.

"I just - he's been bullied before, I don't want him to go through that again. I don't know, threaten people, Chloe, do what you do best." 

"Yeah, alright. I'm doing this for  _you_ , not him." 

"I know, Chloe. Don't worry, I know." Because she could never do something for the good of her heart, she had to tell people she had a double motive. Adrien would have rolled his eyes, but he was smiling too much. Chloe may have changed to become a popularity driven teenager, but she still had a heart underneath, buried  _way_  deep inside. 

"Hope your father gets his act together soon," because of  _course_  she knew how his father reacted. She'd only known them both for several years. If the general media knew about Adrien's relationship, his father certainly would have. 

"For what It's worth, I'm sorry," she said softly. This time, her voice didn't sound strangled, or like she was trying not to show her human side, she was genuinely apologetic. 

"You've nothing to be sorry for," Adrien said, finding a blush on his face.

"No, but if I hadn't acted like I did, you would have told me sooner, and all of this could have been prevented." 

Adrien shrugged, though she couldn't see him, "he would have found out, regardless. He just doesn't like Luka."

"Guess we'll have to change that." she muttered, her tone implying a devious plot in the making, turning darker at the end, which made Adrien glad she wasn't plotting against  _him._

Adrien hung up once they said their good byes, staring up at the ceiling. He had homework to do, piano practice to complete and dinner to eat. He couldn't bring himself to move from his bed, to remove the phone from his hand. 

* * *

 

He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when Nathalie turned up to his room the following morning and told him to prepare for tutoring. He should have known, because come on, his father wasn't stupid, Adrien would have found a way to see Luka if he'd been at school. Without a fuss – what was the point? - Adrien prepared himself for a long day of tutoring with Nathalie, who was as monotone with her teaching as she was with everything else.

Adrien had forgotten what it was like to be homeschooled by his father's assistant. Nathalie didn't give him easy work, she made him think, she made him  _learn_. He supposed that was a good thing, but he also didn't get to learn about friendships. He didn't get to see Nino, to hear about what sorts of music he'd been able to create, or Marinette's design adventures, or Alya's blog. He didn't get to hear stories in class about what people did over the weekend, he didn't get to see people come together against Chloe's rude comments (he wasn't sure if he was glad about that part). 

He didn't get to see Luka. 

It shouldn't have been so hard, it was only  _one_  day, but it felt like a lifetime. How had he managed to live his life this way for so long? When Adrien was finally released from Nathalie's grasp, he was forced to practice his piano, with his bodyguard's watchful eye on him. 

Adrien made it through another silent dinner, playing with his food, his stomach churning, before he was sent to his room alone. He thudded onto his bed, misery filling his chest. He hated it, feeling alone, even when he knew he still had friends. one day wasn't going to change that, he was sure. Nino wouldn't forget him just yet. He hoped. 

He was climbing into bed, searching for his phone, trying to remember where he'd left it – he was sure he'd left it on charge in the morning, before his lessons started. It wasn't there now, nor was the charger. Adrien frowned, sitting upright, looking around his entire room for his electronic communications device. 

Plagg floated over, sensing his distress, "what you looking for?" He asked. 

"My phone," the boy responded quickly, turning to his kwami expectantly, silently hoping it was just Plagg's way of gaining attention. 

"Ah, I wondered what that gorilla had in his hands before, guess that would have been it." Plagg said lazily. 

Adrien groaned, covering his eyes with his face as he flopped onto his bed. "Of course, he couldn't just leave me with at least  _one_ method of contact to the outside world," he muttered.

Plagg hovered, almost unsure, watching Adrien and holding his feet to his chest. "your father didn't take it as well as you'd thought," he said quietly.

"I didn't think he took it well at all. I just thought he'd forgotten," well, now he's said it, he knew it wasn't right. His father would never forget something as important as a phone, he could easily contact his boyfriend over the device. He could easily contact Luka through school, too. Gabriel had taken away everything that made Adrien, Adrien. At least he hadn't taken Plagg from him. 

"I'm sure it won't be forever," the kwami said.

"I wish I could be so sure." 

"You've still got me, he hasn't taken everything from you." Plagg said, clearly unsure of what to say.

Adrien smiled, reaching up to cup the kwami in a small hug, "yeah, I've still got one friend." 

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far."

"Of course, your only friends are cheeses."

"Now you understand," Plagg said with a satisfied nod. 

Adrien smiled despite himself. He'd managed to live his life for fourteen years under his father's complete control, he could last a little longer. He could do it, because it meant seeing Luka. He knew true happiness, he wasn't going to just let it go. He only hoped Luka felt the same, hoped he would be able to push through whatever he faced at his school because of his relationship with Adrien. Adrien was unsure, given they hadn't spoken since the previous day, but he knew, deep down, Luka had encountered some trouble, he only hoped Luka was ok. If he wasn't, Adrien would set Chat Noir on them, or Chloe. That worked too. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone calls, akuma's and anxiety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, some slurs in this chapter, I tried to make them as relevant and few as possible, sorry if they offend anybody.   
> This chapter was interesting, it sort of just kept growing, so sorry for the length XD  
> I'm writing a small fic of the details between Luka and Chloe, what happened over the week period, not necessary to read given that Luka pretty much says it but just for anyone who wants to see Chloe being interesting.

It'd been nearly an entire week of his new solitary confinement rule, with only Plagg for company. He was going crazy. He could only last so much longer. Nathalie swamped him with homework, which he did when the Gorilla watched him. The only time when he wasn't watched was when he was sleeping. Thankfully there hadn't been an akuma, he would have found it challenging to get to the scene, with his watchers. 

It'd been nearly a whole week without talking to his friends, without seeing his boyfriend. Without hearing how his boyfriend was, he just hoped he was ok. He hoped he wasn't getting crap for dating the model, or for dating a boy. He wished he could see him, to let him know he missed him. There wasn't a moment he didn't wish more than anything to be in the loving arms of his boyfriend, to have his comforting warmth surrounding him. 

Adrien missed Nino, he missed Alya and Marinette, Juleka and Rose, he missed Ivan and Mylene, he even missed Chloe and Sabrina, which showed just how lonely he was with Plagg for company. He wasn't even able to talk to the kwami frequently, what with his constant guards. He disliked it immensely, and by some miracle, he hadn't become an akuma. That would have been interesting. 

It was during his lunch break that he heard it, the familiar crash of some building outside, glancing up and looking out the window to see an enormous giant figure strolling through the streets of Paris, crashing buildings in his wake. Adrien stiffened, glancing around to see the Gorilla standing at the door protectively. Instead, Adrien dashed to the bathroom, with some excuse that he  _really_  needed to go. 

Adrien called upon Plagg, who seemed almost happy to dive into the ring (even the kwami was starting to hate being under house arrest). Chat Noir leapt out of the window, breathing in the fresh air happily. The first time he'd been outside since Duval had sent the photos, he was going to enjoy this. 

Chat Noir leapt onto the scene, the akuma taking down another building. Ladybug swung up next to Chat casually, crouching as she analyzed the akuma. Chat followed suit, watching the akuma carefully. The enormous akuma seemed to be concealing something on its side, which made Ladybug focus her sight on what was inside his bag. 

The akuma did something that shouldn't have been as surprising as it was, but yet it came as a shock to Chat. The akuma yelled, "Chloe Bourgeois!"

Chat stared at the akuma in surprise, he certainly didn't recognize the person behind it, how could it know Chloe personally? She couldn't have offended a random, could she? Unless – unless this was someone who'd been hurting Luka?

Ladybug groaned beside Chat, "of course," she muttered angrily. 

"My lady?" Chat asked, turning to her. 

"Chloe, she's been on a warpath lately," she said.

"Why?" 

Ladybug tilted her head to the side, "you don't know?" 

"Know what?" What had he missed? He was beginning to regret not transforming sooner and trying to find his friends. 

"I don't know how you haven't heard, It's all over social media," she said, still staring at him in confusion. 

"Know  _what_?" 

Before she could respond, the akuma spotted them and swatted a large hand their way, sending them bouncing away. Chat managed to claw his way onto the akuma, distracting it so Ladybug could access the akuma, using her lucky charm. 

With the akuma purified, Chat helped up the victim, offering him a small smile, but he just glared at the black cat. Chat stared at him in confusion. Ladybug landed beside Chat, placing a hand onto his shoulder and giving the victim a smile, who maintained his glare. 

"You ok, mate?" Chat asked, tilting his head to the side in concern. 

"Pft, Chloe can threaten me all she likes, it's still  _wrong_." He spat angrily. 

Chat reeled back in surprise. He looked to Ladybug, who had an exasperated expression on her face, but her eyes just said ' _I told you so'_. Chat blinked quickly, trying to fill in the pieces. 

"I'm sorry, I've been living under a rock, what's going on?" Chat asked, looking between his partner and the victim, who he really needed a name for, because  _victim_  wasn't the best.

"You remember Luka?" Ladybug started, when Chat nodded, she opened her mouth to continue, but she was cut off. 

"He's a  _fairy_ , thinks he's the bees knees for 'dating'-" he held up quotation marks, rolling his eyes sarcastically, " _Adrien Agreste_ ," he growled the last part, Chat flinching back slightly. 

Ladybug frowned, "that's really no way of talking about either of them," she said, trying to keep her tone friendly, but firm. Chat remembered she knew Luka, she card for him. She was probably trying to help him, which made Chat feel better, knowing he had Ladybug to protect his boyfriend. 

"Whatever, It's unnatural and wrong."

Chat frowned, turning to Ladybug, who was also frowning, swinging her yoyo to get away. Chat hurried after her, abandoning the previous akuma. He seemed about Luka's age, a sad fact Chat had not missed. Perhaps he went to school, maybe he'd said something to Luka. Chloe was clearly doing a good job if he'd been akumatised and chased after  _her_  instead. 

"Someone going to tell me what's happening?" Chat asked once the team were safely atop a rooftop. Chat was aware he'd been in the 'bathroom' for a while, but he needed this, he needed some freedom. 

Ladybug sighed, "someone posted a photo of Adrien and Luka kissing, but Adrien's gone off the grid, probably his father though, he'd never leave Luka alone if it wasn't." 

Chat's heart faltered at her words, "is he ok?" 

She shook her head slowly, her eyes sad, and it broke Chat's heart to see. "he's been bullied before, you see? There's only so much of it he can take." 

"Why would they care? Come on, It's not like he's the first guy in Paris to like another guy?" 

"No, I know, Chat. It doesn't make sense. People don't seem to realize that Adrien is allowed to be happy with whoever he chooses, even if that person is apparently not good enough." She said sadly. 

"People need to butt out of his life!" Chat exclaimed angrily, both hurt and upset with the people's reaction. They should be happy, Adrien Agreste had found someone who made him happy, that should have been enough for them, it shouldn't matter Luka's social standing, nor his gender. It didn't matter to Adrien, it shouldn't matter to anyone who wasn't directly affected, which meant Luka or Adrien. 

"No one's heard from Adrien since, though. Rumors are that he's hiding his face, he's ashamed." Ladybug said, but the look in her eyes told Chat that she – thankfully – didn't agree. 

"He wouldn't do that, he loves Luka, he would never leave him," Chat said firmly. 

"Yeah, I know that." She said softly. "I think, I think you should visit him."

Chat sighed, looking out over Paris, he didn't have a whole lot of time, but this was  _Luka_  they were talking about. He needed to check on his Prince, he needed to make sure he was ok. Ladybug's earrings flashed, warning her of her impending transformation, so Chat took it as his cue to dart off to the mores, where he would hopefully find his beloved boyfriend. 

It wasn't hard to find  _liberty_ , which reduced travel and search time, it also wasn't hard to find Juleka and Luka, who were seated on deck talking together. Chat landed softly on deck, startling both teens. Juleka's eyes darted between her brother and the hero, before deciding her place was down in the galley, leaving the hero alone with the teen. 

With one look at his boyfriend, Chat was clenching his fists. The boy looked as though he'd been through a rollercoaster, then decided to walk through a maze. He looked defeated. Chat's heart shattered at the sight, his strong, loving, carefree boyfriend was reduced to this. 

"Luka, what happened?" Chat asked, though it was fairly obvious. There were some people who just couldn't accept change, couldn't accept Luka the way he was, or they were jealous that someone like  _him_  could land someone like Adrien. It wasn't fair. 

"Chat Noir?" Luka asked, surprise lacing his voice. He completely ignored Chat's question, which didn't go unnoticed by the masked hero.

Chat tried again, stepping forwards carefully, flinching when Luka took a step back. "What happened?" he repeated, softening his voice. 

Luka sighed, "he warned me, didn't he? I guess I didn't believe that his father could take him away from me. But I can't do this without him," he finally admitted. 

Chat finally walked forwards after a moment of quiet staring. Luka stayed still, allowing himself to be wrapped into the hero's strong arms. Chat purred when Luka pressed his head against his chest, blushing furiously as Luka pulled back, staring at him with wide eyes. Chat awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking away. 

He was allowed to be happy though, he had his boyfriend in his arms after so long, after such a stressful time, for both of them apparently. Chat held him close, relishing in the calm he felt. He just wished Luka knew who was behind the mask, knew he was here for him. 

"You're not alone, Luka. You're never alone," Chat promised softly. 

"So my sister keeps saying, but I reckon if she ever sees Adrien she'll slap him one." a small smile spread across Luka's lips at Adrien's name, and Chat had to restrain himself from reaching forwards and kissing him, something he'd become so accustomed to doing. 

Luka seemed to notice Chat's closeness, pulling away from him slightly, looking mildly offended, Chat realizing that he might think Chat was trying to get Luka to cheat on Adrien. man, this was confusing. He wanted to tell Luka, he wanted to be there for him. He needed to help Luka. 

Chat stared at him, long and hard. He trusted him, he  _knew_  him. He loved him. Luka would never betray him, that much he knew. Chat really only wanted what was best for him, at any rate, because Luka didn't deserve this. 

He never should have confessed. 

Being happy for a few days was not worth the heart ache being separate caused. 

Chat made a split decision, dragging Luka into the hold of the ship, finding his bedroom and closing the door. Chat resisted the urge to kiss the surprise off Luka's face only just. He needed to tell his boyfriend sorry first, sorry for everything. He never wanted any of this to happen. 

"I'm so sorry, Luka," Chat said softly. 

Luka tilted his head in surprise. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Chat Noir." 

Oh, but he did. Keeping secrets, for one, was a pretty big thing to be sorry for. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he apologized. 

Luka stared at him, realization dawning on his features, "A- Adrien?" 

Chat's smile was sloppy, nodding slowly, feeling the mask fade from his face, kwami landing in his palm. Luka stared at him in shock, before Adrien felt himself embraced with a  _wrecked_  Luka. Adrien held on tightly, wrapping his arms strongly around his distraught boyfriend, trying to comfort him in any way he could. 

"I am  _so sorry_ ," Adrien said, voice low, pleading, hoping like anything Luka would accept it. 

The dip dyed teen looked up, eyes teary, Adrien hadn't even realized he'd been crying. The observation startled him, not understanding quite why he was crying- was he happy to see him? Sad to see him? "I know, I should have believed you." 

"I never should have dragged you down with me, I should have been content with being your friend," Adrien said, trying to hold onto Luka tighter, afraid these would be their last moments together. He hoped they weren't. 

Luka shook his head firmly, "no, Adrien, you don't mean that." 

"You'd be happy, you wouldn't be bullied because of me," he said sadly. 

Luka sighed, "that might be true, but I wouldn't be happy, because  _you_  make me happy. It won't always be like this, people will understand, your father can't hold you forever."

"How are you so calm right now?" 

"Babe, I just found out I'm dating  _Chat Noir_ , I'm still processing it." Adrien's heart fluttered helplessly at being called  _babe_. Luka had never called him that before, but he liked the sound of it. 

"Is that - is that ok?" Adrien asked, voice meek. 

Luka scoffed, a bright smile on his beautiful features. Ah, how Adrien had missed this. He really hadn't realized how strong his love was for the teen, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. "I think it's beyond incredible, my amazing boyfriend is off saving Paris from the evil Hawkmoth." 

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, which made Luka give a short laugh. "you didn't think otherwise, did you?" Luka asked, voice laced with concern. 

"I mean, it was a shock, right?" 

"Not really, Chat isn't really that different from your normal self. He did get away with calling me prince though," he said lightly. 

Adrien laughed, "you liked that?" 

"Well, let's say if Adrien hadn't stolen my heart first, Chat definitely would have. But I'm lucky, because he's the same person." 

"I'm not sure whether to be jealous of myself or not?" Adrien commented.

Luka smiled, bringing Adrien closer, their lips almost touching, Adrien feeling the warmth of his breath across his face. Luka's lips parted, Adrien's eyes focusing on them completely. He couldn't stand the waiting anymore, rushing forwards and closing the distance between the two. 

Heaven, complete and utter heaven. He'd missed this, missed feeling so completely happy, in love, missed everything that made him feel like himself. 

He'd missed Luka. 

Missed his hug, missed his kiss, missed his voice. He was so hopelessly in love with him. 

"I love you," Adrien murmured against Luka's lips as they parted briefly, only for Luka to attack him once more, pressing him down onto his bed. 

Luka pulled back, lips barely brushing Adrien's, "I love you more," he said with a sparkle in his eyes and a grin on his lips, which Adrien hastily kissed away. 

"I love you most," Adrien hummed, grinning when Luka rolled his eyes dramatically. 

"You are  _so_  not turning into Mother Gothel on me." 

"No, no, of course not. But I am totally Rapunzel, locked away in my ivory tower, waiting for my beautiful prince to rescue me." Adrien sung happily, kissing Luka quickly, before he pulled away with a laugh. 

"I'm not one for heroic missions, I'll leave that one to you, Chat." 

Adrien beamed happily, his chest felt lighter at Luka's words, the easy acceptance with which he'd taken Adrien's alter ego. He really shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't as though Chat was that different from Adrien, it was only luck more people didn't know. 

Before the two could go back to their make out session, long overdue really, a small black kwami floated into field, glaring at both teens. Adrien felt a blush spread across his face at Plagg's annoyed face. "Where's my cheese?" 

" _Plagg_!" Adrien exclaimed, both in mortification and annoyance. Trust his kwami to ruin the moment. 

Luka stared at him in surprise, "it talks?" 

"He's flying, and you're concerned about him talking?" Adrien asked in surprise. 

Luka blinked, reaching a hand up to poke at Plagg, who glared at him and floated out of his reach. Adrien snickered at the offended expressions on their faces. Luka turned to Adrien for an explanation. 

"Luka, this is Plagg, my kwami. He's kinda the reason I'm Chat Noir," Adrien explained carefully. Luka's face held an expression of shock and excitement as he analyzed the small black cat. 

Plagg watched Luka closely, giving Adrien a slight glare once he'd finished, "you know you aren't allowed to tell people," he said with a huff. 

Adrien looked down, "I had to, Plagg. He needed to know." 

"I won't tell anyone, Plagg." Luka promised, his tone indicating he understood the gravity of the situation. 

"We can trust him, Plagg." 

Plagg huffed, "only if gives me some cheese," he grumbled, looking around the room hopefully. 

Adrien rolled his eyes, but Luka stood up, eager to please. "I think we can manage that," he said, heading towards the kitchen, Adrien and Plagg in tow. As soon as they reached the galley, Plagg shot off in search of the smelliest cheese imaginable, with Luka's permission of course. 

With a mouth full of cheese, Plagg came to sit on Adrien's shoulder - which made him gag – and gave a nod of satisfaction. "You can keep him," Plagg finally said. 

Luka's face flushed pink, as did Adrien's own, both staring at the small cat with equal expressions of surprise and happiness. "I don't really need your permission, Plagg." Adrien said with a roll of his eyes. 

"I could just erase his memory of me," Plagg threatened, his tone completely serious, it had Adrien standing straight, confusion in his eyes. 

"You could do that?" Luka asked in awe. 

Plagg shrugged his tiny shoulders, "I mean, probably, I'm destruction, right?" 

"Could you erase my father's memory?" Adrien asked curiously. 

Plagg looked down, "look, even if I  _could_  erase memories, it would be too dangerous to perform on someone like him."

Adrien frowned, "oh."

"He'll come around, Adrien." Plagg said, placing a tiny paw on Adrien's cheek. 

Adrien shook himself, this wasn't what he wanted to talk about right now. Now, he needed to talk to his boyfriend, needed to make sure he was truly ok. He caught the upset look on Luka's face, before it disappeared as soon as Luka realized he was being watched. 

"What really happened?" 

Luka sighed, walking towards Adrien, taking his hand in his own, leading them back to his room. Adrien glanced at the time, realizing he'd been out for almost an hour, which made his blood run cold for a moment, before he decided Luka was worth whatever punishment his father could throw at him. He needed to make sure he was doing ok. 

Back in Luka's room, they sat facing each other on Luka's bed, Plagg sitting on the window sill with a small platter of cheese next to him, curtesy of Luka. Luka's usually bright eyes met Adrien's, dulled by whatever he'd been through. 

"I guess I'd forgotten what it felt like to be stared at for being different," Luka started, playing with his fingers in his lap. Adrien caught the movement with his own hands, running his fingers soothingly over the backs of Luka's hands. "I mean, it's not like people at school didn't  _already_  know, you know? They just can't believe It's  _you_  I'm dating. Well, there are also the people who have a stick up their butt and don't like anything different in general." 

"I don't understand why people are making such a big fuss over who I'm dating. They should just be happy that I'm happy," Adrien commented sourly. 

Luka smiled gently, "yeah, well, they probably  _wouldn't_ care so much if it had been  _you_  who released the first couple photos." 

Adrien glared at Luka's floor for a moment, gritting his teeth. He really disliked Duval, he wished he could do more for Luka, but he couldn't risk being publicly outted as Chat Noir either. "Have people been – have they been rude to you?" 

Luka shrugged, staring out the window instead of meeting Adrien's eyes, "I mean, at first, yeah. But that didn't last long, somehow Chloe managed to shut them all up." 

Adrien let out a small laugh, she'd carried through, just as he'd hoped. Luka met Adrien's smile with one of his own. "What did she do?" he was curious, she had all the means in the world to terrorize people into silence, he wanted to know details. 

"Well, what  _didn't_  she do?" Adrien laughed at Luka's expression, one of amusement and horror. "She threatened pretty much everyone on social media who so much as  _disliked_  the comments, let alone anyone who  _commented_  negative thoughts." 

"I'm surprised more people weren't akumatised because of her," Adrien remarked. 

Luka grinned, "she definitely wasn't nice. I'm glad she's on my side," his tone implied he had absolutely  _no_  idea  _why_  she was on his side. That was ok, Adrien didn't need to tell him. He'd probably work it out on his own anyway. 

"Has school been alright since?" 

Luka scoffed, "school is never alright, but It's been bearable, at least. I've only really got one friend at school, she's a serious gaming nerd so she gets her own crap from that. At least she accepts me, right?" 

"I'd like to meet her," Adrien had heard of her, of course, her name was Sierra, she'd been Luka's friend as soon as he'd moved to her school. They were great, both antisocial and soft-spoken people, if Luka's words were to be believed. 

"She  _definitely_  wants to meet you."

Adrien let out a small laugh, "to approve of me?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Luka agreed with an easy smile. 

"I hope I live up to her standards," Adrien said, trying to keep the worry from his voice. He was well aware that Luka was very much too good for him, especially given what he'd had to put up with lately. No one deserved to be treated as Luka had been. 

Luka had a contemplative look on his face, lips curled into a teasing smile, "yeah, well, she thinks you have to be pretty darn amazing for me to  _still_  love you, even after everything." 

"She might be disappointed then," Adrien mumbled. 

"Doubt it, you're definitely worth the jealous looks. And the hateful stares. And the slurs." He said it so blankly Adrien was almost fooled into thinking Luka wasn't bothered.

Almost. 

"I'm sorry," Adrien whispered. 

"You really don't have anything to be sorry for. It's not your fault people in Paris have issues. You should be allowed to be happy with whoever you choose. Theoretically, you can't date everyone out there." 

A surprised laugh escaped Adrien's lips, "yeah, guess not." he agreed. 

"They'll settle down, hopefully. I can't imagine the life of one teenager is that interesting." 

Adrien could argue that point, given the recent evidence, but he didn't feel like engaging his boyfriend in a debate when he hadn't even seen him for a week. He was just happy to be sitting beside him. 

"And hey, now I know whenever Chat flirted with me, it was because he genuinely liked me." 

Adrien's face went bright red, opening his mouth in surprise, making illegible sounds. Luka laughed, a beautiful, open laugh, one Adrien had missed incredibly. He was happy to hear it, knowing he was the one who made him laugh – even if it was because of his own blush. 

"Silver lining?" Adrien stammered out, trying to recover his cool façade, but his face felt too hot. 

"I mean, Chat's definitely awesome, I'd totally date him." 

Adrien felt his face get ten degrees warmer again, eyes wide. "I'm not sure if I should be jealous of myself?"

"I should be the one who's jealous, Chat was totally in love with Ladybug." 

"She's a fabulous partner, but she's not the one who stole my heart." 

Luka smiled, bringing a hand to Adrien's cheek gently, "I'm not even remotely jealous, don't worry. You need a partner like her, she humbles you." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Luka looked down, tone becoming serious, "I'm really glad you have someone like her, she's a good friend to have." Oh, because he'd met her that one time his mother had been akumatised, Adrien kept forgetting that. He shouldn't have, he wouldn't have met Luka otherwise. 

"She'll only be my friend," Adrien promised, though he felt it wasn't necessary. 

"I know, I'm not concerned." His voice conveyed the honesty he felt, so Adrien didn't feel quite so bad. He shouldn't have felt bad at all, she was his friend, Luka was the love of his life. He could have both. 

Adrien was about to say something else, relating to Ladybug probably, when Luka swept his mouth into a kiss, taking him by complete surprise. Adrien didn't hesitate to return the kiss, pushing back against him, trying to take control. He never succeeded, this time was no different. Adrien could feel Luka's victory even as Adrien tried harder, but it only made the victory sweeter for Luka, who was smiling into the kiss. 

If that's how he wanted to play it, Adrien wasn't about the play fair. 

He wrapped his arms around Luka's waist, dangerously low, causing Luka to fumble, Adrien taking complete advantage of the situation. Luka recovered quickly, smirking as his own hands travelled lower, bringing Adrien closer, pushing him onto his back on the bed. Adrien felt his cheeks flush as Luka ran a hand over his arms, over his torso, settling himself comfortable above Adrien's body. 

The heat was intense, Adrien opening his eyes to stare into Luka's bright blue ones, staring at him with so much love he felt he might burst. When they parted, if only for breath, Adrien felt Luka's hand on his cheek gently, the other helping him to stay upright so he wouldn't crush Adrien. He didn't think he'd have minded.

A loud and irritating noise broke their moment, Luka sitting up quickly, reaching for his phone, which was apparently ringing. He pressed the answer button, Adrien sitting up and resting his shoulder against Luka's so he could hear what was happening on the other end of the line. 

"Luka, is Adrien with you?" Adrien knew that voice, the high pitch and rudeness he'd come to associate with Chloe when she talked to people she didn't particularly like. This time, she had some concern, fear, as she spoke too fast. 

"I'm here," Adrien said, Luka putting her on loudspeaker as he spoke. 

Chloe breathed a loud sigh of relief, Adrien and Luka exchanging concerned frowns, "my father found who'd taken the photos, but he's not coming quietly. He's threatening your father now." 

"What?" 

"He used to work for your dad, thought ruining your life would ruin his, but it clearly didn't work, now he's trying to hack your dad's files, try to find something on him. He's blackmailing my father though, he's going to find something on your dad soon." 

"How?" He was the mayor, for Pete sake! He shouldn't be blackmailed, it was an offence and he should be in  _jail_. This guy thought he was untouchable! Adrien really hoped the police sorted him out soon. 

Chloe paused for a moment, clearly not wanting to tell Adrien anything, but she continued, "he's the Mayor, he's got a little rough past, ok? Sabrina's got her dad on the case, but he's in hiding, no one can find him." 

"What do we do?" That was Luka, his wide eyes alive with concern, but clearly not for him, it was for Adrien, who was in the middle of something much more serious than some simple revenge. 

"You two need to be safe and hidden. Duval can't touch you if he can't find you." 

Adrien frowned, "thanks, Chloe." 

"Don't mention it, Adrien. I mean it. I'm safe if Duval doesn't know I'm helping you. I'm not going through the mud for you." 

Adrien thanked her once more, waiting for her to hang up before he looked up to his boyfriend with wide eyes. "Things have escalated," he said. This was big, bigger than anything he'd ever had to deal with. 

"It's gone into the realm of the law now. He needs to be behind bars." Adrien had to agree with Luka there, he was a threat to too many people now. 

Adrien didn't know what to do, they needed help, they couldn't do this on their own. It was bigger than them. They needed Adrien's father, they needed him on their side. 

"We need help," Adrien said, staring out the window, finding Plagg missing from his window seat. 

Luka nodded, "we need a plan," he agreed. 

That made Adrien think, who was better at plans then Ladybug? "I have an idea." 

Luka looked up, eyes wide at the tone in Adrien's voice. "If it involves making me sit on the sidelines, forget it." 

Adrien shook his head quickly, "time for us taking Duval on individually are over. I'm going to contact Ladybug, see if she can help. She makes great plans. We'll have to talk to Alya, get her to use her blog to put out messages, get her to find him, see if Nino can't find a way to distract the public from us."

"I can ask Sierra to help, she knows a bit about hacking, she could find where he's hiding?" Luka suggested. 

Adrien felt his chest lighten, having a plan that might succeed was definitely helpful. "Alright, we also need to get Chloe to help, she can influence people like you wouldn't believe." 

Luka was quiet for a moment, clearly deep in thought, "I'll get Juleka and Rose to help, we'll need everyone we can." 

"I'll – I'll talk to my father." 

As he said this, Luka's phone rang once again, an unknown number popping up. Adrien's blood ran cold, Luka's hands shaking as he reached for the answer button, putting the phone on loudspeaker as he gave a shaky greeting. 

"Is this Luka Couffaine?" Adrien recognized the familiar voice, it was Nathalie's professional one. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, Luka relaxing as he realized it wasn't Duval. 

"Yes," Luka responded after a moment. 

Nathalie sighed, "is Adrien with you?" 

"Ah -" Luka gave Adrien a helpless look, not sure what to say. 

Nathalie didn't wait for his answer, "you both need to come home, I'm sending our driver to pick you up, Luka."

"What's happened?" Adrien asked, though he was fairly sure he knew the answer. 

"Duval's made his move." 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY for not updating sooner, I've been rediculously busy with life (who knew?) so haven't been able to write anything till today...   
> Anyway, hope this chapter was worth the wait :)

Adrien clutched at Luka's hand, grounding himself as his driver pulled up in the sleek black limo to take him back to his prison. Luka stayed silent, subtly squeezing Adrien's hand where they were joined, sending him reassuring smiles. 

The gorilla hopped out of the car with a grunt, giving his usual monotone stare towards Adrien and Luka, opening the door for the two to get in. Adrien hopped in quickly, not wanting to upset his driver further, dragging Luka into the vehicle. 

Luka clearly hadn't been expecting the luxury of the leather seats, or the size of the limo, as his mouth hung open in surprise as he looked around the car, the tinted windows, the distance between them and the driver. Adrien smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. 

He made no move to comment, however, which just showed Luka understood the gravity of the situation. Adrien felt something vibrate against his thigh, where it was pressed against Luka's own, looking down at it curiously. Luka fumbled in his pocket for a moment, Adrien feeling his fingers press against his own leg a couple of times, causing him to shiver slightly, before he produced a phone. 

The screen was flashing with new messages, Adrien glancing over curiously at the apparent popularity of his boyfriend. Upon closer inspection, the messages were from a variety of people, all relating to a similar topic: Duval's master plan. Luka opened one from Juleka, which had a photo attachment. 

Adrien frowned at the image, it was Adrien hugging Marinette out the front of their school, both clearly very happy in the photo, with a caption reading  _bastard son of Gabriel Agreste cheating?_

Luka snorted at the image, shooting a quick response off to his sister before flicking through the rest of the texts. Adrien was trying to process the new tactic, trying to show Adrien was cheating? How would  _that_  effect his father's reputation? It was his own reputation on the line. Making him the bastard son though? That would make his father livid. Not towards Adrien, oh no, towards Duval, because if there was one thing Gabriel Agreste was, it was loyal. He loved his wife, Adrien's mother, Adrien knew that. It had been the catalyst for his imprisonment when she'd disappeared. 

Yeah, disappeared.

He wished they didn't know what happened to her, wished they'd left it at disappeared. It would have been easier on everyone. 

Luka glared at his phone as he put it back in his pocket, looking up at Adrien carefully, as though trying to gage  _his_  reaction. Adrien wasn't fussed, they could make him out to be the player, the cheater, anyone who knew him knew it wasn't true.  _Luka_  knew it wasn't true. It was the word 'bastard' that had him stumped, he wouldn't lie, it made him feel hollow somehow. Reduced his worth, though he knew without a shred of doubt it was untrue. His parents both loved him, even if his father had an odd way of showing it. 

"I'm not a bastard," Adrien said softly, feeling Luka's hand gently fold around his shoulders, pulling him in gently. Adrien welcomed the warmth, welcomed the embrace, the comfort. 

"Duval's lost his mind, he's going to say anything to bring your father down at this point," as though to emphasize his words, his phone buzzed again, Luka fishing it out once more and frowning at his sisters next screen shot. Adrien stared at it in confusion. 

It was a text post about Gabriel and the Mayor, who were apparently involved in a scandal, using each other and blackmailing others to stay at the top. That was plausible, Chloe had said the mayor had history, but it was unlikely Duval had managed to hack into any of the Agreste's network. Gabriel had freakishly well defended systems, thanks to the multiple branches of security he had. Some would even think he  _did_  have something to hide. 

Adrien leant his head on Luka's shoulder, trying to push the negative thoughts from his mind. He was concerend, but not for himself. His reputation didn't matter nearly as much as his father, who had so much to lose. Gabriel Agreste, perfect fashion designer, perfect wife, perfect son. Having a bastard child would cause him to lose face, even if it was clearly untrue. He'd been with his wife for several years before they'd had Adrien, several after too.

"He's ruining everything, he revealed you to my father, to  _everyone_ , now he's telling lies about my father? About my  _mother_?" 

Luka said nothing, gently running his hands up Adrien's shoulders, the motion keeping him grounded. He leant in further, trying to mold his body to fit with the perfect structure that was Luka. 

"I'm sorry, I keep dragging you into this. Now you're part of this scandal too," Adrien said bitterly, causing Luka to pull back slightly and stare at him in surprise, which quickly morphed into mild amusement.

"I still have you, though. I think Duval would have to try a lot harder if he wants me to believe you're cheating on me," he said easily. 

Adrien smiled, a genuine and happy smile, staring up at the beautiful man he'd fallen in love with. How he'd gotten so lucky as to Luka his, he would never know, but he was thankful. He knew relationships were all about trust, about a lack of secrets, everything Luka poured onto him. He'd only been able to return his honesty when he'd revealed himself as Chat, finally allowed him to know the other half of him. He was lucky Luka accepted him, it could have been seriously risky if he hadn't. He knew, deep down, he shouldn't have, the dangers were too high for Luka now, his safety compromised, but Adrien felt he'd made the right decision, he couldn't take it back now. 

The comfortable silence was held between them until the car rolled to a stop out front of Adrien's home, the Gorilla opening the door for the two. Adrien followed Luka out this time, standing just in front of him as they made their way into the house, where his father would surely be. 

Adrien hated being right, as soon as they entered the house they found Gabriel and Nathalie standing at the base of the stairs, waiting for the two. Adrien kept his hand in Luka's determinately, catching his father's quick glance towards the hold. To his credit, Gabriel didn't react more than a slight frown, not unusual for him anyway. 

Gabriel stalked forwards until he was standing just in front of the couple, staring down at them, almost disapprovingly but also with a note of relief, which surprised Adrien. "You two will remain here, until Duval is caught." 

Adrien glanced to Luka, who was clearly unsure of what to think, he hadn't really spoken to his father before, he really didn't know what to expect. Instead, Adrien looked up, "has he managed to achieve anything?" 

Nathalie was the one to answer, her sharp voice cutting through the room powerfully, "no, but he will keep trying. He's just posted something equally trashy about your grades, which are impeccable."

"Shouldn't this guy be in prison?" Luka opened his mouth before he'd even registered who he was talking to, evidence of his surprise written all over his face. Adrien gave his hand a gentle squeeze before facing off his father, subtly moving his body to stand protectively over Luka.

"He should, but the police don't seem to agree, they don't think he's done anything wrong," Nathalie responded in her usual monotone voice, which seemed almost irritated. Duval was succeeding with something, he was aggravating the Agreste family. That could really only mean his own downfall. 

"How is stalking a 16 year old, posting incriminating  _lies_  legal?" Adrien raised his voice, trying to form coherent words, his anger muddling them up. He was beyond frustrated, if it wasn't for  _Duval_  Luka and he would be happy,  _Duval_  set off his house arrest,  _Duval_  caused akuma's. 

Nathalie sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose, "it's not, which leads us to believe he's also blackmailing the police." 

Adrien's mouth fell open in shock, disbelief, horror. How could  _one man_  cause this much damage? This was ridiculous. Adrien wanted to be happy, he wanted to be able to see Luka when they weren't in a threatening situation, he wanted to hold Luka and not worry about anyone seeing them, of anyone taking photos. 

He wanted a normal life. 

He wasn't going to get that, because he was a cheater, a bastard child, a terrible student and a fake. The latest comment revealed he'd undergone plastic surgery to maintain his youthful charm. Of course, that was completely untrue, he was  _sixteen_  it was completely illegal for him to do anything like that for beauty. At least he wasn't allegedly doing drugs, smoking, gotten someone pregnant. 

Duval didn't know he was Chat Noir. 

He was clutching at anything, grasping at straws, trying to bring the Agreste's down where they stood. If he knew about Chat, he would have said something by now. Adrien didn't think he would waste such a perfect piece of information. He didn’t seem the type. 

"Of all times for someone to just become an akuma instead," Adrien muttered. It had crossed his mind to begin with, how Duval had managed to escape intense negative emotions that could cause an akuma, rather to form a devious revenge plan. He would have preferred an akuma, they were once off. 

Nathalie looked to Gabriel briefly, who seemed to be deep in thought, "yes, perhaps Ladybug and Chat Noir might be of use here." Gabriel agreed stiffly. 

"Father?" Adrien asked curiously. 

"Flush him out, he wouldn't have anything against them," Adrien hoped he was right, because otherwise he'd be blackmailed twice.

"How would you get in contact with them?" It was Luka's voice, who shrunk as soon as Gabriel cast his harsh gaze onto him directly, folding in to Adrien, who adjusted his position once more in front of him. 

Nathalie stepped forwards, pushing her tablet towards Gabriel silently, lips pursed. Gabriel frowned, before nodding once, causing her to step back and tap away once more at the tablet. Adrien stared at the transaction in confusion. He seriously wondered how close the two were sometimes. 

"Father?" Adrien spoke, voice quiet, hesitant.

Gabriel cast his gaze onto Adrien, which made the young boy want to shrivel up into his hole and never come out, but he stood strong. He needed to be strong. "Head to your room, Adrien. We will speak later," he dismissed, turning on his heel, walking away with Nathalie hot on his tail.

Adrien let out a large breath, folding slightly when his father was out of sight. That could have gone so much worse, he could have yelled out right at Luka. Adrien supposed his father was too stressed with Duval's master plan to worry about Luka, at least for now. Small blessings.

Luka was still stiff at his side, but relaxing as they made their way towards the staircase, towards Adrien's room. He seemed frozen, his mind reeling with the confrontation, as they finally reached the massive room that belonged to Adrien. The blonde smiled softly, leading his boyfriend towards the couch, where they both flopped bonelessly against the leather seat. Luka stared ahead, expression blank. 

"You ok?" Adrien asked carefully, hand gently squeezing Luka's.

Luka turned his wide eyes on Adrien, clearly in shock, but Adrien couldn't quite picture why. "Is your father always like that?" 

Adrien shrugged, "I mean, he's usually worse, that was a good outcome." 

Luka's eyes widened more, which shouldn't have been possible. He truly looked shell shocked, uncomprehending what had just happened, "how? How are you still  _sane_?" 

Adrien awkwardly looked at their clasped hands, "I mean, I've had several years of it, I'm used to it." 

"I get it now," he said softly, looking down also, running his free hand over their joined hands. 

"Get what?" Adrien asked in confusion. 

"All the secrecy, hiding, I didn't grasp what he was like, thought you were afraid, ashamed, of telling him. But you have every right to be afraid, he's terrifying," Luka responded.

Adrien smiled sadly, looking deeply into Luka's eyes, "I'm  _not_  ashamed of you, Luka, you are the best thing to happen to me, I wish it didn't have to be like this,  _believe me_. You deserve so much better then secrecy, you deserve so much more," he whispered the last part, voice dropping off sadly.

Luka released Adrien's hand, making him look up in surprise as Luka placed his hands gently on his cheeks, holding his head carefully, eyes showing so much love it hurt his own heart, filled his stomach with small butterflies. "You  _are_  the best thing to happen to me, Adrien. If loving you means being in the spotlight, I'll accept it. If loving you means accepting you're busy, I'll gladly give you space. I'll accept you, whatever happens, don't you  _ever_  forget that.  _You are amazing_." 

Adrien gave a small sound, surprising both him and Luka, sounding similar to a whimper at the beautiful speech that came out of Luka's mouth. It was reassuring, that was for sure, to hear the words of encouragement, the words of loyalty from his mouth. Luka accepted him. That was enough, it would always be enough. 

Luka leaned in slowly, pressing their lips together gently, lovingly, carefully, pressing all the emotions, all their unsaid words into his physical form. Adrien melted into the kiss, hands wrapping around Luka's waist, pulling him closer. Luka kept his hands-on Adrien's cheeks, keeping him prisoner to his heart. 

Adrien tried pushing back, pushing Luka down on his back, but Luka was stronger, pressing Adrien himself into the couch, moving one hand to rake along the side of Adrien's body, sending pleasant shivers through his skin. Adrien could feel Luka's grin at his reaction, so Adrien had to level the score. He moved his hands slowly, lower, just at his hips, feeling Luka stumble, giving Adrien time to take control of their kiss once more. 

As usual, Adrien was no match for Luka, who managed to control their movements once more effortlessly. The blonde fumbled again as Luka's talented fingers wound their way to his hips, tiptoing back along his sides, down his arms, to his chest. 

Adrien wondered how far they would have gone if his computer hadn't alerted him to an incoming message from the Ladyblog, his only form of connection to the outside world now. Adrien groaned as Luka withdrew, trying to follow his movements as Luka smirked down at him. 

"You know, some would think you like kissing me," Luka said with a playful smile. 

Adrien scoffed, trying to bring his breathing back under control, trying to pretend Luka's beautiful,  _teasing_  smile, didn't make his body heat up with flames only he could put out. "Couldn't imagine why," he said breathlessly. 

Luka grinned, standing up and walking towards the computer lazily, Adrien following in a daze. Adrien opened the screen on autopilot, too aware of Luka's presence, the heat radiating from his skin, the closeness of their arms. 

Why did Luka have to be so beautiful? 

It should be a crime. 

Adrien shook his head, trying to focus on what Alya had posted. He managed to calm pretty quickly when he read the post, making him drop from pleasantly warm to cool and collected in moments. 

> 'Gabriel Agreste is requesting the services of Ladybug and Chat Noir, if anyone can help with their whereabouts, now is the time!'

Adrien glanced to Luka, then back to the screen, where already thousands of views had been given to the post. Comments were already flowing in the boxes below, all worried about why Gabriel needed them, some praying Ladybug and Chat were reading the platform. At least Alya had many fans.

Plagg drifted into view, glancing at the screen in disdain. "Not this again," he muttered angrily, earning a glance from both boys. 

"Come on Plagg, the sooner we get Duval behind bars, the sooner we can go back to normal." Adrien said cheerfully. 

"What is normal for you?" Luka asked, half expecting an answer. 

Adrien shrugged anyway, "going to school, going behind my father's back, dating you."

Luka's cheeks flushed slightly, which made Adrien's chest constrict with a feeling of joy, he still wasn't used to having strong effects on anyone. Usually it was  _him_  who would be affected by another - Ladybug was a classic example. 

Adrien grinned, "ready for an epic magic transformation?" Luka nodded excitedly, Plagg only groaning as he was thrown into the ring, Adrien feeling his skin change as the magic surrounded him, striking a powerful pose once it was all said and done. 

Luka stared at him, mouth open, shock covering his features, "you're like a little magical girl," was the first thing to come out of his mouth, which had Chat pressing a gloved hand to his chest, an expression of fake horror on his face. Luka grinned, "did I hurt your feelings?" 

"You mean my felines?" he grinned when Luka choked on his surprised laugh, which quickly turned to a glare, which had Chat laughing instead. "I've always wanted to be a magical girl," he mused instead.

"Your dreams have come true," Luka teased.

Chat bowed gracefully, one hand bringing Luka's to his lips as he bent forwards, eyes watching Luka's, "every single one," he said, voice calm and honest, a blush spreading across Luka's beautiful features. Chat smiled, standing up and leaning forwards to kiss Luka's lips instead.

Luka pulled back, staring up at Chat in surprise, which had the hero reeling in shock, trying to work out what he'd done wrong. Luka clearly saw the panic in his boyfriend's eyes, his own softening, the motion enough to relax Chat mildly.

"I'm sorry, I guess I forgot for a moment," Luka said, cheeks still red.

"It's alright, you are lucky to be dating  _the_  Chat Noir." 

Luka slapped at Chat's chest lightly, a grin in his features. "If you say so," he teased.

"Almost as lucky as  _I_  am to be dating  _you_ ," Chat said happily. 

"It's still weird, I know you're Adrien, but you're also Chat?" Luka said, still trying to comprehend the change in appearance. 

Chat smiled, stepping back from Luka, but was stopped when he was pulled flush against his body, Luka holding him prisoner. "I'm sorry if it's difficult to get used to," Chat said softly. 

Luka shook his head, "I'm glad you told me, I just have to get used to not freaking out over you being in constant danger." 

"Oh, I can look after myself," Chat said with a huff. 

"Mm, yeah getting thrown into the Seine fills me with so much confidence," Luka laughed. 

"That was one time," the hero muttered, glancing to the side.

Luka grinned, capturing Chat's mouth in a surprise attack, hands sweeping around his waist, resting on the leather of his suit. Chat couldn't resist Luka's beautiful form, wishing he could feel his skin, even his clothes, or his warmth, but his gloves restricted everything. Why did Chat Noir have to be so well padded? Just because it was useful in battle and all that, it wasn't useful  _here_.

They pulled apart slowly, Luka blinking up at the hero, "you should go, Ladybug will already be with your father," he whispered, breath heavy against Chat's lips. 

Chat hummed, "wouldn't want to leave my lady waiting," he agreed. 

"I was thinking you wouldn't want her in the clutches of your father for long," Luka mused. 

"Oh, yeah that too," that was more important, yes. Chat didn't want Ladybug to get offended by his father, or to get told off by him. 

Luka grinned, "go save the world," he said proudly, pointing out the window. 

Chat rolled his eyes, "I'll start with my father's reputation."

"Go hard or go home," Luka shrugged, the words sending shivers down Chat's spine, which made him turn and flee, heading to the window. He could feel the heat flooding his body, needing to escape before Luka caught on, before he caught the effects his presence had on the masked hero. Not that Luka really needed to guess, it was clear Luka knew  _exactly_  what he did to the blonde. 

Chat sent a last wave, a flirtatious wink which  _thankfully_  had Luka blushing as much as he himself was, bouncing down to the main entrance and waltzing straight on in. He wasn't surprised to find Ladybug already there, her stance screaming awkward, her relieved expression telling Chat all he needed to know. Nathalie and Gabriel stood in front of the lady in red, staring at her, silent. 

The black cat grinned, trying to throw away his nervousness – there was no way his father would recognize him, right? - and wrapping an arm around Ladybug's shoulders casually. She didn't immediately throw him off, which just went to show how uncomfortable she was feeling, even sent him a thankful glance.

Chat squared up to Gabriel and Nathalie, trying to put on a professional front. He'd met them in this form already, had had the chance to yell at his father – which had felt  _amazing –_ but he was nervous now, because there was no akuma involved this time. Now, it was a real threat from a real person, a person who needed to go to jail. 

Gabriel pursed his lips as he glared down at the two heroes, clearly this was a last resort tactic, he hated needing help more than anyone. He was an  _Agreste_  after all. 

"You two must be familiar with the current situation?" It was Nathalie who finally spoke, glancing at the two heroes. Chat glanced to Ladybug, who cocked her head in confusion. If she wasn't clear, Chat couldn't know things either, clearly the public weren't as in the know about this as he'd thought. 

"A previous employee by the name of Duval Kerman has released incriminating information regarding Adrien in order to seek revenge upon Mr. Agreste," Nathalie expanded, which earned a look of understanding fall upon Ladybug's face. 

"Why are you telling us?" Ladybug asked, her voice every bit as powerful as ever. Chat was thankful to have her on his side, to have her as his partner. For many reasons, really, she was absolutely amazing. 

Gabriel was the one to take the vocals this time, "because we need your help."

Nathalie nodded, expanding, "Duval has seemingly got information on the police, even the Mayor, so taking him down has become difficult. As the two most secretive forces, Duval won't have anything to use against you two, which will give us an advantage."

Ladybug glanced at Chat, who was staring at Nathalie carefully. He turned to Ladybug, giving her a nod, which was all she needed, "we'll help in whatever way we can."

Gabriel nodded, "we've devised a plan, draw him out and catch him in the act. It is imperative we get all technology away from him as soon as possible, so he has no hopes of sending out more secret files." 

The message was clear: this man needed to be stopped. He was damaging more than just Adrien's life now, he was impacting upon the police force, the Mayor, Gabriel Agreste and his staff. Chat nodded, whilst Ladybug hummed thoughtfully. 

"How do you propose we draw him out?" 

Nathalie stepped forwards, pressing a diagram into their faces, which Chat and Ladybug both blinked at. She sighed dramatically, taking the tablet back, sending them a look you'd use to disciplin children. Chat sent her a small glare, before he replaced it with curiosity. He wanted to know the plan just as much as Ladybug seemed to. 

"Mr Agreste will leave the grounds, with you two tailing him. Duval will be sure to want to follow him, he won't be far." 

"How will we know if he's close?" Ladybug asked. 

Chat frowned. Something didn't sit quite right here, and it wasn't because Duval was making his stomach churn. Duval hadn't shown any interest in following Gabriel's movements in the past, why would he start now? He'd be suspicious if Gabriel just suddenly waltzed out of his house, unguarded. No, they needed a different plan. 

"We will have eyes on the security cameras anywhere Mr Agreste walks." Nathalie responded whilst Chat mulled over his thoughts.

Chat shook his head rapidly, "no, that won't work, he's not stupid," he said, all heads snapping to his. Ladybug gave him a look, one telling him to expand, so he did. "Duval's been planning this for  _months_ , he won't just come out of hiding now, not if it's not worth it. He's been tailing  _Adrien_  for months, not him. Adrien has to be the bait." 

Gabriel and Nathalie both exchanged glances, Chat noticing fear laces through their eyes. Chat just looked to Ladybug, who was nodding thoughtfully. She stepped forwards, taking control of the conversation once more. "He's right, sir. Adrien has to be the one to draw him out." 

"I'm not comfortable letting my son near that man," Gabriel said, his usual monotone voice slipping with concern. Chat almost forgot himself, wanting to comfort his father, before remembering his place.

Ladybug nodded, "I understand, Sir, I would never put him in harm's way if I didn't think it strictly necessary. He wouldn't be alone, Chat and I will be close by, if something happens." Well, Ladybug would be close by. 

Gabriel frowned, "yes, alright, I will talk to him."

"This will work, Sir, Adrien will be safe, you have my word," Ladybug said gently, clearly noticing the fear in Gabriel's eyes also, the concern for his son. Chat felt incredibly guilty, they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if it wasn't for him, if he hadn't just  _listened_  to his father and stayed away from Luka. 

He loved Luka, he wouldn't change that.

He wouldn't be hiding if he didn't though. 

"If something happens to my son, Ladybug, akumas will be the least of your worries." 

Ladybug stood strong, despite the harsh words, not backing down. She knew she was right, this plan would work, Adrien would be fine, they'd catch Duval. Hopefully. Chat pulled Ladybug back to him, away from Gabriel, who glanced down at Chat, nodding once to him before turning and saying something to Nathalie, who only nodded. 

"How will we contact you?" Chat asked, immediately regretting having spoken as all eyes turned to him, all gazes hard, Ladybug showing the severity of the situation through her flat glance. 

"Do you have phones?" Nathalie asked blankly.

Chat pulled out his baton immediately, Ladybug pulling up her yoyo, trying to find the number attached to it. This would have to do, he supposed. They both gave the number to Nathalie, who nodded before stalking off to do who knows what. Gabriel said his own farewells, walking into his study, Chat catching a glimpse of the mural of his mother briefly, a flash of sadness welling inside his skin, remembering some of the posts floating around about her. 

Ladybug looked to Chat, her eyes full of sadness, "this is so messed up." 

Chat could do nothing but agree, Ladybug continuing instead, "how does one boy attract so much attention?" 

This, Chat could respond to, "he's the son of one of the most influential men in Paris, a teen heartthrob and involved in a relationship to someone people don’t all agree with." 

Ladybug frowned, "yeah, well, they shouldn't care so much. Like Adrien would ever date them." 

"They can dream, can't they?" 

She sighed, "I guess, I doubt it'll last long, all this attention. Once Duval is dealt with, people will go back to their lives, not caring about Adrien or his boyfriend." 

Chat hoped so, he really did. 

"There will always be people who don't accept them though," Chat said softly. 

Ladybug nodded, "there will, but some people can't accept it, and that's their problem. It's important for them to remember it's ok to love each other, they're allowed to be happy." 

"Yeah, they are. So are you, my lady," Chat said softly, staring at her carefully. 

Ladybug smiled, "yeah, I know." Her voice was so soft, so careful, Chat's heart melted for her. 

"Want to talk?" He asked gently, leaving her room to avoid the question if she didn't want to. 

She shrugged, "I'm fine, Chat," she said.

"I'll always be here for you." 

"I know, but your heart belongs to another," Ladybug said with a sad sigh. 

Chat awkwardly scratched his head, a habit he seemed to be doing quite frequently lately. "Boy troubles?" 

"I guess you could say that." She agreed, trying to make her voice sound lighter, sound like she wasn't affected. She clearly was.

"Want to talk?" 

She shook her head, "it's fine, Chat, I'm happy, you know? He's happy, and that's all that matters. He's happy, and he's still my friend, I can't complain." 

"Anyone would be lucky to have you, my lady." Chat said gently. 

"I know, I'll find someone." She agreed with a smile. 

"Someone who'll treat you like the queen you are," he said playfully. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "I sure hope he treats me better then  _you_ ," she poked him, making him jump, faking a wounded expression at her grin.

"I'm hurt, I have always treated you like a queen," he bowed gracefully, trying to prove his point. 

"Oh, I'm sure." She agreed lazily. 

Chat grinned, happy to see the carefree Ladybug he knew and loved. "It's nice to see you smile," he said softly.

"It's nice  _to_  smile." She agreed, her cheeks flushing pink, "thank you." 

"Anything for my Bugaboo." 

"Gah, I'm leaving now!" She yelped as he tried to bring her in for an over enthusiastic hug, laughing when Chat almost fell on his face. Chat pretended to run after her, exiting his family estate and onto the gardens, Ladybug turning to face him, yoyo in hand. "I'll see you soon, kitty cat." 

"Wouldn't miss it," he agreed, waving to her, grabbing his own baton and bounding up to his own room. 

Luka was waiting for him, of course, seated on the chair. He leapt up at Chat's entrance, barely letting his transformation run off as he grabbed him in a strong hug. Plagg huffed angrily, floating away to his cheese stack. 

"How'd it go?" He asked.

Adrien shrugged, explaining the conversation with his father, about their plan, which had Luka on edge, as predicted. Adrien needed to do this though, he needed to get Duval away, hopefully it would give them a normal life. Hopefully removing Duval would reduce the media's focus on Adrien and Luka. He didn't care if the attention was on him, but he  _did_  care if it was on Luka. His boyfriend didn't deserve it, he was too perfect. 

"I don't like it, but I also understand." Luka finally said, looking into Adrien's eyes carefully. 

Adrien smiled, "it'll work out, Chat and Ladybug won't let anything happen to you." 

"It's not me I'm worried about," Luka frowned.

Adrien cupped his cheeks, pressing a small kiss to Luka's lips, "I'll be fine, you'll see." 

Luka smiled softly, trying to brighten up, pulling closer to Adrien, right as the door to his room opened, revealing a stiff Nathalie, not even caring about the proximity of the two boys. Adrien pulled away from Luka, maintaining their hand hold, looking up to Nathalie, who walked closer. 

"Your father has come up with a plan. You are both required downstairs." 


End file.
